Meta has cut over 600 jobs from its AI division as part of a major restructuring aimed at boosting innovation and reducing bureaucracy. The company will focus on its new TBD Lab and superintelligence research under Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang.
Exclusive: Meta’s Push Toward ‘Superintelligence’ Leads to Job Cuts in Its AI Division
MENLO PARK, Calif. — Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is once again in the spotlight — this time for a sweeping restructuring of its artificial intelligence division. The company has cut around 600 positions across its long-standing AI research and infrastructure units, even as it doubles down on its new, high-profile TBD Lab focused on advanced AI and superintelligence.
The layoffs, revealed in an internal memo obtained by Axios, mark Meta’s latest move to streamline operations amid growing competition in the AI arms race dominated by OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind.
Why Meta Is Cutting AI Jobs Now
According to Meta’s Chief AI Officer, Alexandr Wang, the decision was driven by a need to “reduce bureaucracy and speed up innovation.”
“By reducing the size of our team, fewer conversations will be required to make a decision, and each person will have more scope and impact,” Wang wrote in the memo to employees.
The restructuring will affect employees within FAIR (Fundamental AI Research), product-related AI, and AI infrastructure units, while sparing the TBD Lab, which remains central to Meta’s next phase of AI development.
Meta described the reorganization as part of its effort to build a more agile and efficient AI operation after concluding that its previous structure had become “too bureaucratic” and slow to deliver breakthroughs.
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What the Layoffs Mean for Meta’s AI Future
While the layoffs have rattled parts of Meta’s AI workforce, the company insists it remains deeply committed to AI innovation. CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly grew concerned months ago that Meta’s existing AI projects weren’t translating into the kind of breakthroughs needed to compete with the likes of OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude.
That realization led to a bold reorganization plan — merging overlapping teams, launching the TBD Lab, and hiring high-profile AI researchers.
In recent months, Meta has brought on top talent including Ananya Kumar, a former research scientist at OpenAI, and Andrew Tulloch, co-founder of Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines.
This recruitment spree comes after Meta invested $15 billion in Scale AI, signaling a strong commitment to building superintelligent systems capable of powering next-generation products across its ecosystem — from social platforms to mixed reality.
Inside the TBD Lab: Meta’s New AI Frontier
The TBD Lab, which remains unaffected by the layoffs, has quickly become the company’s flagship research hub for advanced machine learning and superintelligence development.
The lab is said to be focusing on next-generation multimodal models, integrating text, video, and AR/VR technologies — positioning Meta as a leader in AI-driven content creation and immersive user experiences.
In his memo, Wang expressed optimism about Meta’s path forward:
“I’m really excited about the models we’re training, our compute plans, and the products we’re building. I’m confident in our path to build towards superintelligence.”
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Layoffs Reflect Wider Tech Industry Trend
Meta’s move mirrors a broader trend across Silicon Valley, where major tech firms are reshuffling AI resources to optimize performance and reduce costs. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have each undergone similar internal restructurings this year, balancing heavy AI investments with profitability pressures.
Despite the layoffs, Meta says affected employees will have opportunities to reapply for roles within the company, especially within growing divisions such as Reality Labs, AI infrastructure, and TBD Lab.
“This is a talented group of individuals, and we need their skills in other parts of the company,” Wang said.
Meta’s Big Picture: From Social Media to Superintelligence
These AI cuts underscore a pivotal moment in Meta’s transformation — from a social media empire to a full-fledged AI and metaverse powerhouse.
By shifting focus toward scalable, future-ready research through the TBD Lab, Meta hopes to reclaim its edge in AI innovation and rebuild investor confidence after a turbulent few years of cost-cutting and regulatory challenges.
While the layoffs have sparked uncertainty internally, experts suggest the move could mark a turning point for the company’s AI ambitions.
As AI analyst
“This isn’t about downsizing — it’s about refocusing. Meta wants to cut the noise and double down where it matters most: building AI systems that define the next era of the internet.”