Workers allege Meta used employees to train AI even as company cuts jobs

Meta began laying off about 10% of its workforce on Wednesday after telling employees the cuts would come with a broader reorganization around artificial intelligence workflows. Reuters reported that an internal memo from Chief People Officer Janelle Gale said 7,000 employees would be moved to new AI-related initiatives and that many leaders would announce organizational changes alongside the cuts. The company had 77,986 employees at the end of March and had already closed 6,000 open roles, according to company filings and Reuters. Meta declined to comment on the restructuring plan described in the Reuters report. ### What are workers on X saying happened inside Meta? An X post that circulated on May 21 described the layoffs as “dystopian” and said employees were being made to train AI systems that could replace them. That post spread alongside reporting on Meta’s layoffs and canceled openings, but the social posts themselves did not provide documentary evidence beyond linking the job cuts to the company’s AI push. (money.usnews.com) Reuters reported on April 21 that Meta planned to increase internal data collection from employees as part of its “AI for Work” effort, later rebranded as the Agent Transformation Accelerator. In that report, CTO Andrew Bosworth told employees in a memo that the company would step up collection of workplace activity data to improve internal AI systems. (money.usnews.com) ### What has Reuters actually verified about employee work being used for AI? Reuters reported that Gale’s May 18 memo said employees would be transferred to teams including Applied AI Engineering and Agent Transformation Accelerator XFN. Reuters said those teams were previously described by Bosworth as part of Meta’s “AI for Work” effort and were aimed at developing AI agents that can autonomously carry out tasks currently performed by human staffers. (money.usnews.com) Reuters also reported that Bosworth’s earlier memo said Meta would capture more employee workflow data as part of that same effort. That is the clearest verified basis for the online claim that workers were being used to help train internal AI systems, though Reuters did not report that all affected employees were directly training models intended to replace their own jobs. (money.usnews.com) ### How big are the cuts, and how do they fit Meta’s AI spending? Reuters reported on April 17 that Meta planned a first wave of layoffs on May 20 affecting about 8,000 employees, or roughly 10% of its global workforce, with more cuts possible later in 2026. CNBC separately reported that additional rounds could come in August and later in the fall, citing people with knowledge of the matter. (money.usnews.com) Meta said on April 29 that first-quarter revenue rose 33% to $56.31 billion and net income rose 61% to $26.77 billion. In the same period, the company raised 2026 capital expenditure guidance to as much as $145 billion, and CNBC reported that the increase was tied to Meta’s accelerating artificial intelligence investment. (money.usnews.com) ### Why does the “record profits” criticism keep appearing? Meta reported $26.77 billion in net income for the quarter ended March 31, while Reuters reported last year the company generated more than $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit. Those figures have fueled criticism online because the layoffs are arriving during a period of strong earnings rather than a downturn like the company faced in 2022 and 2023. (investor.atmeta.com) CNBC reported that Zuckerberg’s tone has changed since the earlier “year of efficiency” cuts, with the company now framing reductions as part of an effort to offset other investments it is making. Reuters reported that Gale told employees many leaders had incorporated “AI native design principles” into their new organizational structures. (investor.atmeta.com) ### What happens next inside Meta? Wednesday’s layoffs were described by Reuters as the first wave in a broader 2026 overhaul, and the same report said additional deep cuts were slated for later this year. CNBC reported that employees and former employees expected possible further rounds in August and later in the fall, while Reuters said executives could adjust later plans depending on developments in AI capabilities. (cnbc.com) Meta’s next public checkpoints are likely to come through future earnings disclosures, company memos or additional reporting on the AI teams Reuters identified — including Applied AI Engineering, Agent Transformation Accelerator XFN and Central Analytics. (money.usnews.com)