Meta to cut about 8,000 jobs as it shifts spending toward AI

In short: Meta says it will lay off about 8,000 employees starting May 20, 2026, and will stop hiring for about 6,000 open roles as it shifts more money and attention to AI.

What happened

Meta Platforms, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, announced a major shift in its plans toward artificial intelligence, often shortened to AI (computer systems that can create text, images, or other content and help with tasks).

The company said it plans to cut about 10% of its workforce, which is roughly 8,000 people. The layoffs are set to begin on May 20, 2026.

Meta also said it will cancel plans to fill about 6,000 open jobs. In other words, even roles that were not yet filled will now stay empty.

Meta’s stated reason is that it wants to put more of its budget into AI products and the equipment needed to run them. That equipment includes data centers (large buildings full of computers, like a power plant for internet services).

The New York Times also reported that Meta discussed the possibility of further cuts internally. Those conversations were linked to the high cost of building AI infrastructure and the expectation that AI tools could let fewer workers do some kinds of work.

Why it matters

This is another sign that big tech companies are changing their workforces around AI. For regular people, it can affect the features and speed of improvement in apps like Facebook and Instagram, and it can also affect local job markets when large employers reduce staff while spending more on new computing facilities.

Source: NYTimes