Meta Platforms is currently doing a major restructuring, laying off approximately 4,000 employees while doubling down on its recruitment of machine learning engineers and AI specialists.
These changes underscore the company’s shift towards AI as a core element of its future growth strategy. CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the layoffs, representing about 5% of Meta’s workforce, as part of a broader effort to improve operational efficiency.
While focusing on cutting low-performing roles, the company is aggressively recruiting to bolster its AI capabilities, signaling that artificial intelligence is central to Meta’s evolution in 2025 and beyond, reveals a new memo obtained by Business Insider.
Meta’s new approach aims to ensure that only the highest performers remain as the company accelerates its technological initiatives.
Meanwhile, another memo at Meta reveals that privacy teams will have reduced power to delay product launches, and past privacy decisions will be reassessed, as some are considered excessively “risk-averse”, according to The Information
AI Hiring at Meta Takes Center Stage
Meta’s strategy for 2025 includes an intensified focus on artificial intelligence, with a significant ramp-up in hiring machine learning engineers and other specialized roles.
To expedite the recruitment process, the company will host a series of “ML Batch Day Interviews” between February 11 and March 13, with the goal of evaluating hundreds of candidates.
This recruitment initiative comes in response to Meta’s ambition to embed AI deeper into its core products and services, from personalized content recommendations to innovative monetization strategies. The hiring initiative is designed to ensure that Meta has the engineering talent required to execute its long-term AI goals.
Peng Fang, Meta’s Vice President of Engineering for Monetization, underscored the urgency of these hires. “We need to hire many engineers in 2025,” Fang wrote in a post shared on Meta’s internal forum Workplace last Friday, highlighting the critical need for talent in AI, particularly in system design and software engineering.
The company is also encouraging current employees with experience in recruitment to assist in the interview process. This reflects the urgency with which Meta is pursuing AI talent, especially in light of rising competition and the need to maintain its leadership in technology. Meta plans to invest up to $65 billion in AI this year alone.
Competitive Pressure from DeepSeek Sparks Meta’s AI Focus
Meta’s increased emphasis on AI comes at a time when its competitors are raising the bar. DeepSeek’s R1 model, which achieved an impressive 97.3% score on the MATH-500 benchmark using Nvidia H800 GPUs, has become a key point of comparison for Meta’s AI capabilities.
DeepSeek’s efficient AI model has set new performance standards in the industry, and Meta’s internal teams have reportedly felt the pressure to match or exceed these benchmarks.
One anonymous Meta engineer described the situation as a “mad scramble trying to match that efficiency,” illustrating the internal competition within Meta to keep pace with rival AI companies.
This competitive environment is fueling Meta’s renewed AI hiring strategy. The company is not only looking to enhance its technical capabilities but is also securing the talent needed to drive innovation in the highly competitive AI sector.
DeepSeek’s success and the resulting internal pressure on Meta are driving the company to recruit AI experts more quickly, accelerating its talent acquisition strategy to support new product innovations and AI-driven solutions.
Meta’s Frontier AI Framework and Regulatory Pressure
Meta’s AI governance has also undergone significant revisions. In response to increasing scrutiny and ethical concerns surrounding artificial intelligence, Meta has introduced the Frontier AI Framework.
This framework categorizes AI systems into “high-risk” and “critical-risk” groups, with the latter requiring strict regulatory controls to prevent catastrophic harm. The shift to this more structured approach highlights Meta’s commitment to managing the risks associated with AI while continuing to innovate in this critical field.
The introduction of the framework comes in the wake of past controversies surrounding the misuse of Meta’s LLaMA models, which contributed to a shift towards more cautious AI deployment practices. “Through this framework, we will prioritize mitigating the risk of catastrophic harm while still enabling progress and innovation,” Meta stated in its announcement.
This more rigorous approach to AI is also being driven by external regulatory pressures. The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) has imposed new requirements on platforms like Meta to ensure that their AI systems operate within ethical and legal frameworks.
These regulations aim to mitigate the risks of AI systems being used for harmful purposes, particularly in sensitive contexts like elections. Meta’s introduction of its AI framework is part of the company’s broader efforts to align with these regulatory changes while continuing to develop innovative AI models.
Meta’s Leadership Reshuffle and Future Prospects
Alongside its AI-focused initiatives, Meta has also been restructuring its leadership to better align with its evolving technological goals. Loredana Crisan, the former head of Messenger, has taken on a new role overseeing Meta’s generative AI division.
Tom Allison, previously responsible for Facebook’s strategy, now leads the newly merged Facebook and Messenger teams, a move that underscores Meta’s commitment to integrating AI-driven innovation into its core social platforms. These leadership changes are intended to streamline operations and accelerate the development of AI solutions across Meta’s platforms.
The reshuffling of leadership is not only a response to internal changes but also to external competition, particularly from companies like TikTok. The increasing role of AI in content delivery, personalization, and even advertising places pressure on Meta to maintain its competitive edge.
By realigning its leadership to focus more intently on generative AI and machine learning, Meta aims to stay at the forefront of AI innovation, ensuring its platforms remain relevant in an ever-changing digital ecosystem.
Meta’s Strategic AI Vision for 2025 and Beyond
Meta’s long-term strategy revolves around the integration of AI into nearly every aspect of its business. As the company continues to invest heavily in machine learning and AI technologies, the focus is shifting from traditional social media services to AI-driven innovations.
This transformation includes the development of new tools for advertisers, personalized content delivery, and even augmented reality platforms. Meta’s ambitious goal to embed AI into its systems reflects broader trends in the tech industry, where AI is expected to drive significant advancements in product functionality and user engagement.
