This comes after reports that CEO Mark Zuckerberg had grown frustrated with the AI division following the lukewarm reception of their Llama 4 AI system
Meta has officially announced the elimination of 600 positions within its artificial intelligence division, a move reflective of broader unease in the technology sector.
This decision emerges even as Meta actively seeks to augment its workforce for its superintelligence lab. According to initial reports from Axios, the layoffs will predominantly affect the company’s Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) unit, along with product-related AI and AI infrastructure sectors.
Intriguingly, the newly established TBD Lab unit will remain exempt from these cuts. In a memo addressed to employees, Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang encouraged those affected to explore other opportunities within Meta, suggesting that many are likely to secure alternate roles.
The Menlo Park-based conglomerate continues to pursue recruitment efforts for TBD Lab, which is dedicated to advancing Meta’s most recent large language models. These models underpin technology similar to that of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Meta’s own Llama.
Diverging from its competitors, Meta has embraced an alternative strategy towards AI, offering its flagship Llama system as an open-source product, thereby enabling users to modify and utilize key components freely.
Reports indicate that CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the AI division, particularly following a tepid reception of the Llama 4 models introduced in April.
Despite claims that over a billion individuals engage with its AI products monthly, Meta is widely regarded as lagging behind rivals such as OpenAI and Google in the consumer adoption of large language models.
In a communication that reached the CNBC newsroom, Meta informed certain employees that November 21 would mark their termination date. During the intervening period, they would enter a “non-working notice period.”
“During this time, your internal access will be revoked, and you are not required to perform any work for Meta,” the message stated. “You may utilize this time to seek another position within the company.”
This development aligns with a broader trend of layoffs within the technology industry. Amazon, for instance, is planning to cut approximately half a million jobs, with company executives asserting that automation will facilitate double the product sales.
Documentation acquired by the New York Times suggests that the tech titan aims to have 75 percent of its warehouse operations managed by robots.
Efforts are underway to rebrand this technology, with phrases such as “advanced technology” or “cobots” being favored over traditional terms like “AI” or “robots.”
Amazon has refuted claims that the documents reviewed by the Times provide a complete and accurate depiction of its strategic initiatives. This news coincides with the company’s plan to lay off around 1,500 of its 10,000 human resources personnel.
Source link: Themirror.com.
