San Francisco: Thousands of employees at Meta Platforms woke up to shocking emails this week as the company began another major round of layoffs linked to its growing focus on artificial intelligence. Many workers reportedly received notices as early as 4 a.m., creating fear and uncertainty across offices in Asia, Europe and North America.
The layoffs are part of a large restructuring effort led by Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, who has made AI the center of the company’s future plans. Reports from several international media organizations said nearly 8,000 jobs could be affected, representing close to 10 percent of Meta’s global workforce.
Employees in Singapore were among the first to receive termination notices. Workers described scenes of panic and confusion as many checked their phones before dawn only to discover that their jobs had been cut. Some employees said they immediately lost access to company systems and communication platforms shortly after receiving the email.
The company reportedly asked several teams to work from home while the layoffs were carried out. Workers said the atmosphere inside Meta offices had become tense in recent days as rumors of job cuts spread through internal chat groups and meetings.
Meta’s human resources department had earlier informed employees that the company was entering a new phase of restructuring aimed at creating “leaner and faster” teams. Internal memos reportedly explained that Meta wants to reduce layers of management and increase investment in artificial intelligence projects.
At the same time, the company is also shifting thousands of remaining workers into AI focused roles. Employees are being reassigned to teams working on AI systems, automated software tools and digital assistants. Some workers reportedly fear that traditional jobs inside the company may gradually disappear as AI takes over more tasks.
Several employees who spoke anonymously to technology publications said morale inside Meta has dropped sharply despite the company continuing to earn huge profits. Workers described feeling emotionally exhausted and uncertain about their future in the technology industry.
One employee reportedly said the layoffs created “a culture of fear,” with many workers now worried that strong performance reviews may no longer guarantee job security. Others said employees are rushing to update resumes and search for opportunities outside the company before more cuts arrive.
Industry experts say Meta’s actions reflect a much wider trend across the global technology sector. Large companies are investing billions of dollars into AI development while reducing spending in other areas. Businesses are increasingly automating tasks that were once handled by human workers.
Meta is expected to spend well over 100 billion dollars this year on AI related infrastructure, including advanced computer chips, data centers and research programs. Zuckerberg has repeatedly stated that AI will shape the future of social media, communication and online business.
However, critics argue that the rapid push toward automation is creating anxiety among workers across the industry. Many employees fear that AI systems designed to improve productivity may eventually replace large numbers of human jobs.
Labour experts say the emotional impact of sudden layoffs can be severe, especially when notices are delivered electronically without personal communication. The early morning timing of the emails also drew criticism online, with many social media users calling the process cold and insensitive.
Despite the criticism, Meta leadership believes the restructuring is necessary to compete with rivals such as OpenAI, Google and Anthropic in the fast growing AI race.
For many workers, however, the layoffs have become a painful reminder of how quickly the technology industry is changing. What once seemed like stable and highly valued careers are now being reshaped by artificial intelligence and corporate cost cutting, leaving thousands uncertain about what comes next.