Sweeping cuts at Meta could see 16,000 jobs lost as company pumps money into AI

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Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is reportedly planning to lay off around 16,000 employees, which would be the largest workforce reduction since 2022.
Despite these layoffs, Meta is also investing heavily in artificial intelligence, aiming to spend approximately $600 billion on AI infrastructure by 2028.
Block, a payments company led by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, also laid off over 4,000 employees, citing the use of AI to automate work, similar to Meta’s strategy of using AI to reduce the need for large teams.
Critics, like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, argue that some companies might be using AI as a scapegoat for layoffs, a practice termed “AI-washing,” even though genuine displacement by AI is also occurring.