Meta Combines Facebook, Messenger Teams in Response to Industry Pressures

Meta is shifting its strategy, uniting Facebook and Messenger teams, and responding to competition from labs like DeepSeek with a new AI approach.

Meta is consolidating its Facebook and Messenger teams into one unified unit, a move that coincides with a targeted and performance based workforce reduction.

Internal communications shared with The Information indicate that about 5% of employees identified as underperformers will be let go as part of what the company calls “non-regrettable attrition.”

A Meta executive explained, “We have really ambitious goals, so we need to manage our workforce in a way that ensures we have the strongest talent working here and can move faster in managing our low performers.” This approach reflects a broader trend across the tech industry, where companies are increasingly focused on streamlining operations and improving efficiency.

The restructuring also sees leadership shifts. Loredana Crisan, previously head of Messenger, is moving to the generative AI division. Meanwhile, Tom Allison, who formerly led Facebook, is taking on additional responsibilities within the merged team.

These changes highlight Meta’s strategic pivot toward AI-driven initiatives, while simultaneously maintaining its legacy social platforms.

Other tech giants are making similar efficiency-driven moves. Microsoft’s performance-based layoffs, for example, reflect an industry-wide shift toward optimizing resources. For additional industry context, see Microsoft’s performance-based job cuts.

Zuckerberg Signals Urgency

In a leaked all-hands meeting, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently underscored the urgency of balancing core products with next-generation platforms. He reportedly stated, “If we can’t build Facebook and the next platform at the same time, then eventually game over.”

The comment reflects growing concerns at Meta’s highest levels about staying competitive in an industry dominated by rapid technological advancements and emerging rivals.

Competitors such as TikTok continue to gain ground, leaving Meta under pressure to accelerate its innovation cycles.

External Challenges and Regulatory Pressures

Meta’s internal shake-ups occur against a backdrop of mounting external pressures. The European Commission is conducting stress tests on major online platforms—including Meta—to assess their readiness to combat disinformation.

These tests come ahead of key elections in Europe and are designed to ensure compliance with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

Amid the organizational changes, Meta’s AI division faces significant challenges from DeepSeek’s recent achievements. DeepSeek’s R1 model has become a benchmark for efficiency, achieving a 97.3% score on MATH-500 while using relatively constrained Nvidia H800 GPUs. One Meta engineer anonymously noted on the professional networking platform Blind, “It’s a mad scramble trying to match that efficiency!”

The efficient performance of DeepSeek R1 has prompted concerns within Meta about its own resource-heavy AI strategies. The internal pressure has grown as industry observers compare Meta’s AI expenditures to the cost-effective approaches demonstrated by competitors.

Meta’s New AI Approach with the Frontier AI Framework

Meta’s recent changes extend beyond organizational restructuring. The company has unveiled its Frontier AI Framework, designed to govern the deployment of high-risk AI models.

Under the new framework, AI systems are classified into “high-risk” and “critical-risk” categories. Those classified as critical-risk models—systems capable of causing catastrophic outcomes—are subject to the strictest controls.

Meta’s official statement emphasized the goal: “Through this framework, we will prioritize mitigating the risk of catastrophic harm, ensuring that our models are not used for unintended malicious purposes while still enabling progress and innovation.”

This represents a departure from Meta’s previous approach, which saw broad accessibility to models like LLaMA. Now, the company seeks to strike a balance between fostering innovation and maintaining public safety.

For more on the DeepSeek R1 model and its impact, see Meta Employees Say Their AI Team Is in “Panic Mode” After DeepSeek R1 Model Release and explore the DeepSeek R1 tag.

For more background on the AI governance shift, see Meta May Restrict Access to High-Risk AI Following Misuse of LLaMA Models. Additional context can be found under the LLaMA tag.

Markus Kasanmascheff
Markus Kasanmascheff
Markus has been covering the tech industry for more than 15 years. He is holding a Master´s degree in International Economics and is the founder and managing editor of Winbuzzer.com.

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