Inside Meta’s Big AI Pivot
4/28/202622 min
Meta is kicking its AI transformation into high gear. The Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram parent is getting aggressive about AI talent, integrating AI technology into employees’ workflows and even developing an AI agent to help its CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Last week, the company announced a 10% cut in its global workforce. WSJ’s Meghan Bobrowsky unpacks what the pivot means for the AI race and the company’s employees. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: Why Meta Is Offering $100 Million for AI Geniuses The Battle Within Meta Over Chatbot Safety Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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First 90 secondsRyan Knutson· Host0:00
[music] Last week, Meta said it was laying off 10% of its roughly 80,000 employees.
Speaker 1· Soundbite0:11
Meta says it'll lay off about 8,000 employees starting next month. The company's also canceling plans to fill 6,000 open roles as it plans to invest more on developing artificial intelligence. ABC- The layoffs are part of a larger transformation that's happening within Meta right now as the company tries to reinvent itself as an AI powerhouse.
Ryan Knutson· Host0:29
Meta said it would use the savings from the layoffs to balance out its huge investments in AI. This year, the company's planning to spend up to $135 billion on the technology. And for the employees who are left, they're being asked to incorporate AI into their jobs. Teams are being flattened, and in performance reviews, workers are assessed by how much they use AI. [music] And Meta isn't just using AI to make its employees more efficient. The company is also using its workforce and the way they work, like at their desks, to train the company's most advanced AI models.
Meghan Bobrowsky· Guest1:08
A memo went out on Tuesday from a researcher who works on building the models, and they said, "Hey, guys, our models need to get better at learning how to use computers."
Ryan Knutson· Host1:21
That's our colleague, Megan Babrowski.
Meghan Bobrowsky· Guest1:23
"And so therefore, we are now going to be monitoring your keystrokes, your mouse movements, and your click