As Meta lays off 10%, 7,000 employees will be moved into AI roles, source says

Artificial intelligenceAs Meta lays off 10%, 7,000 employees will be moved into AI roles, source saysThe Facebook parent company is expected to notify employees affected by the cuts or restructuring on Wednesday morning.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, in Washington, D.C., on March 26.Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 19, 2026, 5:41 PM EDTBy Emily LorschMeta is moving 7,000 employees into roles focused on artificial intelligence and consolidating them into four new organizations, according to a source familiar with the matter. The shift is part of a broader reorganization that is expected to be announced Wednesday, which will include layoffs affecting 10% of the company.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The changes, which Meta first detailed in an internal memo in April, will include laying off about 8,000 employees and not filling approximately 6,000 open positions. Meta previously confirmed the April memo’s authenticity to NBC News.“We’re doing this as part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments we’re making,” Janelle Gale, now Meta’s head of people, said in the April memo to employees. “This is not an easy tradeoff and it will mean letting go of people who have made meaningful contributions to Meta during their time here.” Affected employees are expected to receive an email with details on the layoffs and reorganization early on Wednesday morning, a source familiar with the matter said, noting that notifications could vary by region.The changes are the latest in a string of structural decisions at the company leaning into AI while trimming other parts of the sprawling company, which includes Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The trend is one that’s been seen across Silicon Valley and corporate America as AI has been perceived to hav...