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Meta Platforms is reportedly considering sweeping layoffs that could affect 20% or more of its workforce, as the tech giant grapples with rising costs tied to its aggressive push into artificial intelligence.
According to a Reuters report, the potential cuts are part of broader efforts to offset heavy spending on AI infrastructure, acquisitions, and talent. Meta employed nearly 79,000 people as of December 31, based on its latest regulatory filing, meaning any reduction on that scale would impact tens of thousands of workers.
A Meta spokesperson downplayed the report, describing it as “speculative reporting about theoretical approaches,” and did not confirm any immediate plans for layoffs.
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The development comes amid a broader wave of job cuts across the tech sector, with companies increasingly citing AI-driven efficiency as a reason for downsizing. Payments firm Block is among the latest to announce layoffs framed around automation and operational streamlining.
However, the narrative linking layoffs to AI has drawn scrutiny. Industry observers — including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman — have warned of “AI-washing,” where companies attribute workforce reductions to automation while masking deeper issues such as over-expansion during the pandemic-era tech boom.
Meta has already undertaken significant workforce reductions in recent years. In November 2022, the company cut approximately 11,000 jobs, followed by an additional 10,000 layoffs in March 2023 as part of what CEO Mark Zuckerberg described as a “year of efficiency.”
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