Meta to cut one in 10 jobs after spending billions on AI

The cuts, which employees had been expecting for weeks, will be Meta's largest layoff since 2023. Meta to cut one in 10 jobs after spending billions on AI Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's co-founder and chief executive, in a blue suit and red tie. Meta will cut thousands of jobs next month as it spends more than ever on artificial intelligence (AI) projects. The company told employees in a memo on Thursday that it planned to cut 10% of its workforce - roughly 8,000 staff. It said it would also not fill thousands more open jobs it had been hiring for. A key reason for the layoffs is Meta's increased spending in other areas of the company, including AI, for which it will this year spend $135bn (£100bn). This is roughly equal to the amount it has spent on AI in the previous three years combined, according to a person who viewed the memo. in other areas of the company, including AI, for which it will this year spend $135bn (£100bn). This is roughly equal to the amount it has spent on AI in the previous three years combined, according to a person who viewed the memo. A spokesman for Meta confirmed the planned job cuts but declined to comment further. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's co-founder and chief executive, made public comments in January that essentially telegraphed the company would be cutting jobs again this year. The Meta boss said he had seen how much more productive workers who relied heavily on AI tools had become, noting a single person could now complete projects that would have previously required a large team. "I think that 2026 is going to be the year that AI starts to dramatically change the way that we work," Zuckerberg said. Last week Reuters news agency reported that Meta was planning to cut potentially more than 10,000 employees this year. The memo to employees on Thursday was first reported by Bloomberg. Last week Reuters news agency reported that Meta was planning to cut potentially more than 10,000 employees this year. The memo to employees on Thursday was While Meta has already cut around 2,000 workers in two smaller rounds of layoffs already this year, employees had been braced for weeks for a much deeper cut, as the BBC previously reported. While Meta has already cut around 2,000 workers in two smaller rounds of layoffs already this year, employees had been braced for weeks for a much deeper cut, as the Meta's spending and internal focus had shifted heavily in recent months toward catching up on the development of AI models and tools. The company just this week informed employees that it would begin tracking and logging their interactions with work computers in order to help train and improve its AI models, a move one employee called "dystopian" given the looming layoffs. The company just this week informed employees that it would begin their interactions with work computers in order to help train and improve its AI models, a move one employee called "dystopian" given the looming layoffs. "This company has become obsessed with AI," they told the BBC. Appearing at the second inauguration of Donald Trump, from left to right: Mark Zuckerberg in a black suit, white dress shirt and red necktie; Jeff Bezos in a navy suit, white dress shirt and red neck tie; Sundar Pichai in an all black suit, shirt and neck tie; Elon Musk in a black suit, white dress shirt and navy neck tie Tech CEOs suddenly love blaming AI for mass job cuts. Why? Since 2022, Meta has enacted several rounds of job cuts, shedding tens of thousands of workers. But it had started hiring again, and last year its overall number of employees looked to be at around the same level it had been at before its initial layoff. The upcoming jobs cuts will be Meta's largest layoff since 2023. A number of other tech firms, most of which are also spending huge sums on building tools and infrastructure for AI technology, have also enacted swathes of job cuts this year. Amazon has laid off more than 30,000 workers. Oracle laid off more than 10,000 workers. Block, which is among the smaller tech companies, laid off nearly half of its staff totaling more than 4,000 workers. And Snap, another smaller tech company, has laid off around 1,000. Block, which is among the smaller tech companies, laid off nearly half of its staff totaling . And Snap, another smaller tech company, has laid off Also on Thursday, Microsoft told employees that it would offer thousands of workers with longer tenure at the firm voluntary buyouts. Nearly all of the companies have cited the growing capabilities of, or increased investment in, AI technology as a factor in executives' perceived need for fewer employees. Woman with dark curly hair, wearing tan polo neck jumper, works on a computer in an office Meta to track workers' clicks and keystrokes to train AI A green promotional banner with black squares and rectangles forming pixels, moving in from the right. The text says: “Tech Decoded: The world’s biggest tech news in your inbox every Monday.” Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here. to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. The firm will take data from the way employees work for its artificial intelligence models. It comes as the government continues to consult on whether to ban under-16s from social media in the UK. The Facebook owner recently lost a landmark social media addiction trial in California The Snapchat owner is laying off around 16% of staff and withdrawn hundreds of open job roles. MP Linsey Farnsworth has told the BBC she understood 80 redundancies had been made at the firm. It is thought that thousands of people may have lost their jobs at Oracle, one of the world's largest tech companies. More tech leaders are pointing to job cuts caused by AI tools - and a need for more investment cash. Staff at the island's only end-of-life care provider have been offered voluntary redundancy amid financial concerns.