Meta cuts 600 bobs in AI restructuring, pursues $27b data centre project

• Job reductions affect several teams, including Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research, as well as product-oriented AI and AI infrastructure groups.
• Company expects leaner team would streamline decision-making and increase both the scope and impact of individual roles.

Meta Platforms announced that it will cut roughly 600 positions from its Superintelligence Labs division, as the company seeks to make its artificial intelligence (AI) operations more nimble and responsive amid intensifying competition in the tech sector.

The job reductions affect several teams, including Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR), as well as product-oriented AI and AI infrastructure groups.

However, the recently established TBD Lab—comprising a select team of researchers and engineers developing Meta’s next-generation foundation models—will remain unaffected, the company confirmed. The restructuring was first reported by Axios, citing an internal company memo.

Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang explained that a leaner team would streamline decision-making and increase both the scope and impact of individual roles.

“Fewer team members will streamline decision-making and increase the responsibility, scope and impact of each role,” said Wang, according to the memo. Meta added that affected employees are being encouraged to apply for other roles within the organisation.

The move follows a broader realignment of Meta’s AI efforts, which were consolidated under the Superintelligence Labs umbrella in June after leadership changes and lackluster feedback for its open-source Llama 4 model. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has personally championed a significant recruitment drive to invigorate Meta’s AI capabilities.

Data centre expansion

In tandem with its AI restructuring, Meta on Tuesday announced a landmark $27 billion financing deal with Blue Owl Capital, marking the company’s largest-ever private capital arrangement.

The funds will support Meta’s biggest data center project to date—a cornerstone for its expanding AI infrastructure. Industry analysts note the deal will allow Meta to pursue its substantial AI objectives by shifting much of the cost and investment risk to external investors, while Meta retains a minority stake in the project.

Superintelligence Labs comprises Meta’s foundational and product teams, FAIR, and the new TBD Lab which aims to develop the company’s next wave of AI systems. Meta’s commitment to AI dates back to 2013, when it launched the FAIR unit under AI pioneer Yann LeCun, laying the groundwork for a global research network with deep learning at its core.

Meta’s latest moves underscore its determination to maintain a leading edge in AI while balancing innovation with operational discipline.