Possible workforce cuts of up to 20% could mark the company’s biggest restructuring in years as it pivots toward an AI-driven future…..
Tech giant Meta Platforms is reportedly considering significant layoffs that could affect as much as 20 per cent of its workforce as it grapples with the soaring cost of artificial intelligence infrastructure and shifts toward a more AI-driven operating model.
According to a report by Reuters, citing three people familiar with internal discussions, senior executives have recently asked top managers to begin evaluating how teams could be streamlined as the company adapts to a future where many tasks are supported or handled by AI systems.
The sources said the conversations are still at an early stage, and the company has not yet set a timeline for any potential layoffs. They also noted that the final scale of job cuts has not been decided, meaning the reductions could change depending on internal assessments and operational needs.
If the company eventually moves forward with cuts approaching 20 per cent, it would represent the largest workforce reduction since Meta’s major restructuring between 2022 and 2023, when thousands of jobs were eliminated as the company shifted priorities and trimmed costs.
Responding to inquiries about the report, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone dismissed the claims as premature.
“This is speculative reporting about theoretical approaches,” Stone said in comments to Reuters.
As of December 31, Meta employed nearly 79,000 workers, according to its latest regulatory filings.
The possible restructuring comes as the company intensifies investments in artificial intelligence, which has become a central pillar of its long-term strategy.
Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive officer, outlined plans to build a fully automated advertising ecosystem powered by AI. The goal, he said, is to create a system where businesses can simply define their objectives and budgets while the platform’s AI handles the rest.
Under the proposed model, advertisers would set campaign goals and spending limits, while Meta’s technology would manage targeting, delivery, and optimisation in real time.
Zuckerberg said companies increasingly want AI tools capable of delivering “measurable results at scale,” and Meta is positioning itself to provide an integrated platform that simplifies the advertising process.
In June 2025, Meta announced plans to fully automate its advertising system using AI by the end of 2026, signaling a deeper transformation of its business operations.
The company has already made smaller workforce adjustments in recent years. In January 2025, Meta said it would cut around five per cent of its staff, targeting employees deemed to be underperforming.
Any new layoffs on the scale currently being discussed would mark another significant step in the company’s restructuring efforts, as it balances rising AI infrastructure costs with pressure to improve operational efficiency.
For now, however, Meta has not confirmed whether the discussions will translate into actual job cuts.
