Meta to lay off 8,000 employees due to AI costs

US tech company Meta announced its intention to lay off nearly 10% of its workforce, or 8,000 people. The decision by the corporation, owner of social networks "Facebook", "Instagram", and "WhatsApp", is linked to major investments being made in artificial intelligence technologies. This is reported by Bbc.com reports

Company management informed employees about the planned layoffs. Additionally, several thousand previously planned job openings will be canceled. The main reason cited for the layoffs is the enormous funds being spent on developing artificial intelligence. A total of $135 billion is planned to be spent in this area this year alone.

Company founder Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that artificial intelligence helps increase employee productivity. According to him, one person can now carry out projects that previously required a large team. Zuckerberg predicts that 2026 will be a period that fundamentally transforms AI work processes.

For reference, Meta has been laying off tens of thousands of employees since 2022. Other tech giants are following a similar path. Specifically, Amazon has cut over 30,000 employees, and Oracle has cut more than 10,000. Microsoft has offered employees with long-term experience the option to leave voluntarily in exchange for compensation.