Meta reached out for interview, then fired 8,000 employees: ‘AI layoff culture has gotten unbelievably toxic’

As Meta cut 8,000 jobs this week in its latest push toward artificial intelligence, Zach Wilson, a former Meta engineer and founder of DataExpert.io, said the company contacted him for a senior role at the same time it was laying off thousands of employees.

“Meta reached out to interview me for a principal role the same week they decided to lay off 8,000 people!” Wilson wrote on Thursday in a post reacting to the company’s latest restructuring.

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Wilson said he personally knew engineers who lost their jobs and argued that at least some of them could have filled open roles instead of the company seeking outside hires.

“I’m sure there was at least 1 out of those 8,000 people who got let go who would’ve been a good fit for the role they wanted to hire me for. A few of my staff engineer friends got let go, so I know this is true,” he said.

He accused large technology companies of cutting employees aggressively while continuing to hire in areas tied to artificial intelligence.

“Instead, they: axe everybody, treat them like a cost, rehire where there’s pain,” Wilson said. “Whatever happened to employee retention? Why do companies expect us to be loyal to them if they don’t even try to retain us when they have hundreds of billions of dollars?” 

Wilson also questioned the culture developing around AI-driven restructuring across Silicon Valley. “How do these big tech companies expect people to put their blood, sweat, and tears into work while also saying, ‘yeah, we’ll cut you at any moment’.”

“I don’t know. The culture around AI and layoffs has gotten unbelievably toxic,” he stated.

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The remarks came after Meta launched its second major round of layoffs, cutting about 8,000 jobs – roughly 10% of its workforce – while accelerating investments in artificial intelligence.

According to a memo viewed by CNBC, Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told employees the cuts were necessary as the company competes aggressively in AI. “AI is the most consequential technology of our lifetimes,” Zuckerberg wrote. “The companies that lead the way will define the next generation.”

Meta had informed employees in April that it planned a large round of layoffs while also scrapping plans to fill 6,000 open positions. The company said the cuts would help offset investments into AI and related infrastructure.

At the same time, around 7,000 employees are expected to move into AI-focused roles, according to reports. Teams working on AI infrastructure, foundation models, and AI monetisation are reportedly being protected from the cuts.

“It’s always sad to say goodbye to people who have contributed to our mission and to building this company,” Zuckerberg wrote in the memo. “I express my gratitude to everyone leaving today for all of the hard work you’ve put into serving our community.”