Meta is cutting about 600 positions from its superintelligence lab, according to an internal memo from chief AI officer Alexandr Wang obtained by Axios. The layoffs come as the company continues restructuring its artificial intelligence operations amid the broader industry race to develop next-generation AI systems.
The job cuts reflect what Meta describes as part of its ongoing reorganization, not a companywide reduction in staff. A spokesperson said many of those affected will have the opportunity to move into other roles within Meta.
In the memo, Wang wrote that reducing team size would help improve decision-making speed and individual impact. “By reducing the size of our team, fewer conversations will be required to make a decision, and each person will be more load-bearing and have more scope and impact,” Wang said.
The approach aligns with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s “year of efficiency” strategy, which has already led to large-scale layoffs across the company. Zuckerberg previously told employees that “leaner is better,” signaling a continued emphasis on operational focus over headcount growth.
The restructuring follows an aggressive hiring phase over the summer, during which Meta recruited more than 50 AI researchers from rival firms. The company reportedly offered multimillion-dollar compensation packages to lure top talent away from competitors including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, however, claimed that “none of [OpenAI’s] best people” had accepted Meta’s offers.
The company remains deeply involved in AI research and development, alongside its competitors in the race to build large-scale, general-purpose AI systems. However, Meta’s latest move indicates a pivot toward smaller, more efficient teams that can deliver results faster, rather than large-scale expansion.
According to Wang, the reorganization aims to make Meta’s AI operations more “load-bearing,” suggesting that fewer researchers will take on broader responsibilities across ongoing projects.
Featured image credits: Dado Ruvic/REUTERS
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