Meta cuts 8,000 jobs to fund AI push

Meta Platforms is preparing to cut around 8,000 jobs, roughly one in ten of its workforce, starting in May, with a second wave expected later in 2026. Unlike its 2022 efficiency drive, the cuts come despite strong financial health, as Mark Zuckerberg redirects hundreds of billions toward artificial intelligence. The move mirrors broader tech industry trends, with Amazon and Block also citing AI efficiency gains to justify mass layoffs. Industry tracker Layoffs.fyi reports 73,212 tech job losses in the first four months of 2026 alone, a pace set to surpass the entire 2024 total of 153,000.