The hashtag #MetaPlansLayoffs exploded on social media today because Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is planning a massive layoff. Today's reports say the company could cut up to 20% of its employees. This means about 15,800 fewer people, as the company has nearly 79,000 workers at the end of 2025.
The reason is simple and straightforward: costs for artificial intelligence are rising significantly. Meta will spend 600 billion dollars by 2028 just to build data centers and train increasingly powerful AI models. It is also buying AI startups and forming special teams for 'superintelligence.' To pay for all this and become more efficient, leaders want to reduce the workforce. The idea is that AI itself will help do the work of several people at the same time.
This is not the first time. In 2022 and 2023, Meta already laid off more than 21,000 in the so-called 'year of efficiency.' In January 2026, it cut 1,500 positions in the Reality Labs division (the part of the metaverse and virtual glasses) to shift focus to AI and wearables. Now the cuts may be across the entire company, not just in one area.
Mark Zuckerberg is at the helm of this change. Executives have already notified team leaders to start planning for the exits. Meta has not officially confirmed anything and called the news 'theoretical speculations.' But internal sources confirm that discussions are happening at the highest levels.
For those working there, the atmosphere is one of concern. Many positions may disappear because AI automates tasks. Experts say this is a trend across technology: fewer people, more intelligent machines.
If it happens, Meta should offer severance and relocation assistance. For now, the best thing is to follow the official news. The tech job market is changing rapidly, and this could be one of the largest layoffs in the company's recent history. Keep an eye out!