On October 22, 2025, Meta made the announcement that it would lay off roughly 600 employees from its Meta Superintelligence Lab (MSL). The layoffs impacted positions across AI infrastructure, fundamental AI research (FAIR), and roles related to product development. The decision to carry out these layoffs was made by the newly - appointed Chief AI Officer, Alexandr Wang, back in June. The primary goals of this move are to streamline management structures, boost the organization's adaptability, and concentrate resources on key AI projects.

Employees affected by the layoffs will be entitled to 16 weeks of base severance pay. Additionally, they will receive an extra 2 weeks of severance for each year of service. Moreover, they have the opportunity to apply for internal transfers within the company.

After the layoffs, the number of employees at MSL will decrease to approximately 3,000. However, the newly - established TBD Lab, which is tasked with developing next - generation foundational models, will remain untouched by these cuts and is set to continue its expansion.

This workforce adjustment is a result of Zuckerberg's dissatisfaction with the market's response to the Llama 4 model. It clearly shows that Meta is shifting its strategy in AI development, moving away from a focus on large - scale expansion and towards prioritizing efficiency.

Despite the staff reductions, Meta still has plans to spend between $114 billion and $118 billion in total expenditures in 2025. Furthermore, it is expected that AI investments will cause spending growth to rise even further in 2026.