Meta employees are expressing growing frustration with the company’s AI-focused restructuring, according to a report by WIRED, with some workers describing their new roles as repetitive and disconnected from the work they were originally hired to do.
The concerns surfaced publicly this week after an employee interrupted a livestreamed internal presentation attended by thousands of workers. The incident drew attention to complaints within Meta’s Applied AI unit, a team created earlier this year to support the company’s artificial intelligence efforts.
Several employees told WIRED that morale has fallen sharply in recent months following organisational changes, layoffs, and new assignments linked to Meta’s push to compete in the fast-growing AI industry. Several workers described frustration within Applied AI, a unit created earlier this year to support research efforts at Meta’s AI division.
Employees who spoke anonymously to WIRED told many members of the team feel disconnected from the work they were hired to do. Some engineers who previously built software products for millions of users now spend much of their time creating data and test material for AI systems.
One employee described the experience as “literally the gulag,” saying workers have little interaction with colleagues and spend much of their time completing repetitive assignments, reported WIRED. Another worker said the projects feel far less meaningful than previous engineering roles. A third employee said that “most people find the work soul-crushing.”
Why are Meta employees unhappy with Applied AI?
The Applied AI unit was established as part of a broader restructuring effort designed to strengthen Meta’s position in the fast-growing AI race. The group includes thousands of engineers and product managers who support researchers developing advanced AI models, reported WIRED.
Several employees said the transition came with little choice. Workers selected for the unit either had to join the team or leave the company. Some employees have reportedly referred to themselves as “draftees.”
Many of the assignments involve creating coding challenges and software problems that help train and evaluate AI models. Employees said the work often feels repetitive and mechanical, reported WIRED. They said that the assignments do not fully use their technical expertise.
One worker told WIRED they joined Meta to build products for billions of users but now spend their days producing training material for AI systems. Another employee said the work lacks creativity and offers little opportunity for innovation.
Workers across several Meta divisions have reported heavier workloads after recent job cuts. Last month, the company reduced its workforce by roughly 10%, affecting about 8,000 employees, reported WIRED.
Employee frustration has also surfaced over a workplace monitoring initiative introduced by Meta. More than 1,600 workers signed a petition opposing a program that tracked employee clicks and keystrokes to generate AI training data, as per WIRED report. Following criticism, the company adjusted parts of the program and allowed workers limited options to pause data collection.
What Meta executives say
Senior executives have acknowledged the difficult atmosphere inside the company. During an internal Instagram meeting, Meta Chief Product Officer Chris Cox addressed the pressure employees have faced in recent months. He described the environment as “difficult” and “brutal” and compared working at the company to “running a marathon in the middle of a hailstorm,” reported WIRED.
Cox also urged workers to take a balanced view of artificial intelligence. “It is neither god, nor is it the devil,” he said. “And it’s nowhere near as good as you think it is, and it is nowhere near as bad as you think it is,” he added, as per WIRED report.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed employee concerns in an internal memo. He acknowledged that recent organizational changes had created disruption across the company. “Given the complexity of these changes, we’ve made mistakes and will almost certainly make more,” Zuckerberg wrote.
The CEO promised there would be no additional mass layoffs this year. He also announced measures designed to improve workplace stability. These include reducing manager-to-employee ratios, increasing budgets for team events, restoring assigned desks in many offices, and organising a large company hackathon.
Zuckerberg also defended the role of Applied AI. He described the team as an important part of Meta’s broader AI strategy and suggested that employees would eventually have opportunities to move into other positions across the company, reported WIRED.
Meta has invested heavily in artificial intelligence as it competes with rivals in the global AI market. The company hopes to build more advanced AI products for its social media platforms, smart glasses, businesses, and future digital assistants, reported WIRED.