Meta cuts jobs across APAC as AI restructuring deepens

Meta carried out a round of cuts across the Asia Pacific region earlier today as part of a broader restructuring tied to its push into artificial intelligence, according to sources familiar with the matter. Staff in Singapore were notified at 4am local time today.

It remains unclear which roles and markets in the region were affected. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Meta for comment.

The move comes as Meta Platforms reassigns about 7,000 employees into new AI-focused roles, while also reducing headcount in select areas. The changes are part of a wider reorganisation aimed at reshaping teams around AI products, including agents and applications.

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In an internal memo dated 18 May, chief people officer Janelle Gale reportedly said staff would be moved into newly created groups focused on AI initiatives, with the company shifting towards a “flatter” structure and smaller teams. The changes are intended to improve productivity and make work more rewarding, she added. 

The restructuring reflects chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s push to position AI at the centre of Meta’s long-term strategy, with significant investment flowing into large language models, infrastructure and talent as the company competes with rivals such as Google and OpenAI.

Meta has also been encouraging wider adoption of AI tools internally, including agent-based systems to support engineering and coding work, as it explores more automated workflows across the business.

Alongside the redeployment of workers, Meta has also reportedly closed roughly 6,000 open roles as part of the restructuring process.

New internal groups include Applied AI Engineering and Agent Transformation Accelerator, both focused on developing AI agents that can perform tasks traditionally handled by employees. Central Analytics will focus on measuring productivity and supporting agent development, while details on an Enterprise Solutions unit are expected later.

The changes have reportedly triggered internal pushback from employees, including concerns over surveillance tools used in AI training and frustration over the handling of the layoffs, with more than 1,000 staff reportedly signing a petition raising privacy concerns.

The latest cuts build on changes initiated in February last year, when Meta began streamlining operations and recalibrating its workforce around efficiency and artificial intelligence priorities, setting in motion a wider restructuring that has unfolded in stages since.

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