Meta: Thousands of job changes also announced before mass layoffs
Meta will inform ten percent of its workforce about their dismissal on Wednesday. Almost as many again are to switch to new AI departments.
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Shortly before Meta intends to inform a tenth of its employees about their dismissal, the company has internally announced that it will transfer another 7,000 people to new positions related to AI. This is reported by, among others, the New York Times, citing an internal memo from Meta's HR manager, Janelle Gale. The affected employees are to be transferred to four new organizations that will focus on the development of new AI tools and apps. The work in the new departments is said to be “more productive and rewarding,” with fewer managers per employee, among other things.
Controversial steps for AI training
In the new departments, AI tools for the workplace are to be developed, Reuters adds. This includes, for example, AI agents that are to autonomously perform tasks for which humans were previously responsible. Another department is said to focus on analysis tools that can be used to measure, among other things, the productivity of such agents. The Facebook and Instagram group has recently caused a stir, among other things, with internal information about new tracking software. This records employees' mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes. The data is to be used to train AI models.
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According to the New York Times, those who lose their jobs or have to change departments in the course of job cuts and internal restructuring will find out tomorrow, Wednesday. On this day, everyone is asked to stay at home, according to the HR manager. The emails with the information will be sent out each morning at 4 a.m. local time, and only then will the affected individuals find out what happens next. According to the newspaper report, Meta assures those laid off in the USA a severance payment equivalent to 16 weeks' salary plus an additional two weeks for each year they were employed by the company.
(mho)
