Meta faces record low morale alongside record profits, plans 10% workforce reduction
Tags AI · Enterprise
Meta is cutting approximately 10% of its staff even as the company reports record profits, according to WIRED interviews with more than a dozen current and former employees. Workers describe an environment of widespread unhappiness driven by AI-focused restructuring, surveillance of employee activity, and the perception that the company is prioritizing machine learning investments over its existing workforce. The layoffs follow employee protests over corporate software that tracks keystrokes and mouse activity.
Technical significance
Meta's situation exemplifies the broader tech industry tension between AI investment and workforce stability. The employee surveillance backlash (mouse tracking, keystroke monitoring) highlights growing labor concerns about AI-driven productivity monitoring. The 10% cut at a profitable company signals that AI-driven efficiency gains are being used to reduce headcount, not just augment workers.