By Blessing Nweke

Meta will lay off roughly 10% of its workforce—about 8,000 employees—next month as the social media giant ramps up spending on artificial intelligence (AI) projects to unprecedented levels, according to an internal memo sent to staff on Thursday.

The company also plans to halt hiring for thousands of open roles, signaling a major shift in priorities as it channels resources into AI development. A spokesperson confirmed the layoffs but declined to provide additional details.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg had earlier indicated that cuts were coming, saying in January that advances in AI were reshaping productivity across the company. He noted that employees using AI tools could now complete tasks that previously required entire teams, adding that 2026 would mark a turning point in how people work.

Meta is expected to spend around $135bn on AI this year—an amount roughly equal to its combined investment in the technology over the past three years, according to a person familiar with the memo. The company has already cut about 2,000 jobs in smaller rounds earlier this year.

Employees had anticipated deeper cuts in recent weeks, amid reports from Reuters and Bloomberg that layoffs could exceed 10,000 positions in 2026.

The announcement comes as Meta intensifies efforts to compete in the fast-evolving AI sector. This week, it also informed workers it would begin tracking their interactions with company devices to help train AI systems—a move that has sparked internal criticism.

Across the tech industry, similar trends are emerging. Amazon, Oracle, Snap and Microsoft have all announced significant job cuts or buyouts this year, citing growing investment in AI and increased automation.