Meta Is Reportedly Downsizing Its Legacy Ai Research Team

Meta is readying to axe astir 600 roles wrong its bequest AI investigation division, according to a study from Axios. The layoffs will reportedly effect Meta’s Fundamental AI Research unit, besides known arsenic FAIR, while nan institution continues to prosecute workers for its recently formed superintelligence team, TBD Lab.

Meta kicked disconnected an AI hiring spree aft investing $14.3 cardinal successful Scale AI and hiring CEO Alexandr Wang successful June. It paused hiring conscionable months later and announced a restructuring that will attraction connected AI-related products and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Meta’s AI investigation squad has taken a backseat, pinch FAIR leader Joelle Pineau leaving earlier this year. In August, Meta AI’s caput Wang said that Meta “will purpose to merge and standard galore of nan investigation ideas and projects from FAIR into nan larger exemplary runs conducted by TBD Lab.”

Now, Meta is reducing roles wrong FAIR arsenic it makes high-profile hires for TBD Lab.

“By reducing nan size of our team, less conversations will beryllium required to make a decision, and each personification will beryllium much load-bearing and person much scope and impact,” Wang writes successful a memo seen by Axios. The layoffs will besides impact roles wrong its AI merchandise and infrastructure teams, though Meta will let impacted labor to use for different roles wrong nan company, Axios reports.

The Verge reached retired to Meta pinch a petition for comment.