The prevailing sentiment among those connected to Meta suggests a challenging workplace environment, exacerbated by a continuous series of layoffs over recent years. These workforce reductions have intensified as the company redirects significant financial resources towards artificial intelligence initiatives.
A recent report by Wired now indicates that Meta's dedicated Applied AI team is reportedly on the brink of significant internal dissent.
The catalyst for this unrest emerged during a recent employee-only, livestreamed presentation, which was disrupted by an individual's expletive-filled outburst. The person demanded that attendees convey to a senior Meta AI executive that he was "a piece of sh_t." Reports indicate one presenter was seen covering their face in response.
Wired suggests this public display of frustration mirrors deep-seated anger within the three-month-old unit, comprising approximately 6,500 engineers and product managers. These individuals are primarily tasked with supporting Meta's ambitious AI research endeavors.
Employees within this group describe feeling compelled to join, facing a choice between transfer or resignation, leading many to refer to themselves as "draftees." Their assigned duties often involve generating puzzles and coding problems for AI model training. One employee candidly described the situation to Wired as "literally the gulag," while another stated that "Most people find the work soul-crushing."
Adding to the internal pressures, over 1,600 Meta employees across various departments have signed a petition protesting a program that monitors their clicks and keystrokes for AI training data. Even Meta’s Chief Product Officer, Chris Cox, acknowledged the "brutal" nature of the current environment during an employee call this week.
TechCrunch has contacted Meta for official comment on these developments.
The Applied AI team operates under the leadership of Maher Saba, who previously served as a vice president within Meta’s Reality Labs division. This newly formed organization reports directly to Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth.
Initially, the team's structure was notably top-heavy, with up to 50 employees reporting to a single manager.
In response to the growing concerns, CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly issued an internal memo on Friday. In it, he acknowledged that recent organizational changes had "caused distress" and admitted to company mistakes, which he stated Meta plans to rectify. Wired further reported that Zuckerberg's memo concluded with the assertion that "Meta’s north star is to be the best place for the most talented people in the world to make an impact."
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