Thousands of employees at Meta were left shocked after receiving early morning layoff emails as part of a major internal restructuring. The message, reportedly sent around 4 a.m., informed workers that their roles had been eliminated under a broader reorganisation plan.
One of the most striking lines in the email instructed affected employees already in offices to immediately collect their belongings and return home. For many, the abrupt wording added to the emotional impact of what is being described as one of Meta’s largest workforce reductions in recent years.
The company is cutting nearly 8,000 jobs — around 10% of its global workforce — while simultaneously shifting more than 7,000 employees into artificial intelligence-focused divisions. The move has intensified global debate over whether AI is transforming jobs or gradually replacing large sections of white-collar work.
A viral post on X highlighted growing anxiety among tech workers. It described how an Indian employee’s wife had been working on an internal AI initiative after participating in a mandatory “AI week,” where employees were encouraged to learn and build AI tools. Despite months of development, her project was eventually approved for further work — before she herself was laid off.
The post warned that such incidents should serve as a wake-up call for those in entry- and mid-level tech roles, as AI continues to reshape traditional employment structures.
Another widely shared account came from Singapore-based Meta employee Gary Tay, who revealed on LinkedIn that he was laid off just a day after training a new engineer. Tay, who spent nearly a decade at Meta and over 15 years across global tech firms including Microsoft, reflected on his sudden exit, saying, “AI is here to stay, apparently the human isn’t.” He also shared that he is preparing for the birth of his child while reassessing his career path.
Meanwhile, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the restructuring in an internal memo, calling artificial intelligence “the most consequential technology of our lifetimes.” He acknowledged the emotional toll of the layoffs and said the company could have communicated the changes more effectively.
Zuckerberg also noted that he does not expect additional company-wide layoffs this year, even as Meta continues its aggressive push into AI development and long-term restructuring.
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