• by Colin Kirkland , Yesterday

Meta is planning to cut 10% of its global workforce due to increased investment in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies toward the end of May, according to a recent report by Reuters.

On May 20, Meta will lay off approximately 8,000 employees in the first wave of what may be an ongoing series of job cuts scheduled throughout the remainder of 2026, although “executives may adjust their plans” based on ongoing developments in AI functionality, the report adds.

Reuters first hinted at the potential of a 20% workforce reduction -- about 16,000 jobs -- in mid-March, marking what could be the company’s largest round of layoffs since 2022 and 2023, when a combined total of 21,000 staffers lost their jobs, per CEO Mark Zuckerberg's proclaimed “year of efficiency.”

At the time of this initial report, Reuters' sources said “top executives have recently signaled plans to other senior leaders at Meta and told them to begin planning how to pare back.”

The mass layoffs would mark the tech giant's newest iteration of 2026 job cuts.

At the start of the year, Meta cut roughly 10% of jobs -- or about 1,500 employees -- within its Reality Labs department, followed by cuts made in late March, which affected several hundred employees working across sales, recruiting and Reality Labs in the U.S. and multiple international markets.

Notably, Meta is directing more of its money into its AI ambitions, which involves investing heavily in AI chips, top talent, data centers and strategic acquisitions, including the recent purchase of AI agent and social-media platform Moltbook.

"We're starting to see projects that used to require big teams now be accomplished by a single very talented person,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on an earnings call with analysts in January, referencing Meta's aggressive hiring pursuits as well as the company's plans to increase AI spending by at least 60% in 2026.

By the end of this year, Meta expects to earn between $115 and $135 billion in capital expenditures, a record for the company.