Meta cuts 8,000 jobs as AI reshapes developer workforce

Meta announced plans to lay off 8,000 employees worldwide, representing roughly 10% of its total workforce, and to cancel an additional 6,000 open positions. The layoffs, focused largely on software engineers working on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, are framed as part of a shift toward AI development and the goal of delivering "personal superintelligence" to consumers. The cuts follow earlier reductions of 11,000 in 2022 and 10,000 in 2023.

Industry analysts note that AI‑generated code is boosting developer productivity by two‑to‑three times, prompting large tech firms to right‑size their engineering teams. While big‑tech shrinks, smaller companies are beginning to hire full‑stack engineers to leverage AI tools, creating a divergent trend in the software‑development labor market.