Meta slashes 10 percent of workforce

Meta informed staff this week it will cut 10 percent of workers as it invests billions into artificial intelligence products.

The memo, sent Thursday by Meta Chief People Office Janelle Gale, said the cut will take place on May 20, and 6,000 open roles will be closed. The memo was published by Bloomberg, and the company confirmed the news to The Hill.

Gale said the move is part of the company’s “continued effort to run the company more efficiently” and “allow us to offset the other investments we’re making.” It comes as Meta invests hundreds of billions of dollars into AI infrastructure as it targets superintelligence, a hypothetical agent that surpasses the intelligence of humans.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has warned investors of increasing 2026 expenses due to infrastructure costs and employee compensation, The Associated Press reported.

Gale acknowledged Meta’s planned layoffs were leaked to the media, writing, “Normally, we would want to nail down more details before communicating about this broadly.”

“I know this is unwelcome news and confirming this puts everyone in an uneasy state, but we feel this is the best path forward, given the circumstances,” she wrote in the memo, according to Bloomberg.

“I know this leaves everyone with nearly a month of ambiguity, which is incredibly distressing,” the official added.

Technology giant Microsoft also said Thursday it would offer voluntary buyouts to thousands of U.S. employees, the AP reported, citing two people familiar with the plan.

These offers will be given to about 7 percent of its U.S. workforce, the news wire added.