Meta announced Monday it will reassign 7,000 employees to four new AI-focused organizations as part of its transformation strategy. The restructuring, revealed just days before planned layoffs of 8,000 workers, aims to create "AI native design structures" with fewer managers per employee. Janelle Gale, Meta's HR head, said the changes will boost productivity and make work more rewarding.

The reassignments come as Meta prepares to cut 10% of its global workforce, affecting roughly 8,000 positions. With over 78,000 employees at the end of 2025, the company is pivoting aggressively toward artificial intelligence development. Meta plans to invest $115 billion to $135 billion this year, much of it on AI infrastructure to compete with Google, OpenAI and Anthropic.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg has essentially bet Meta's future on AI advancement, dialing back previous metaverse investments. The company joins other tech giants like Cisco, which recently announced 4,000 layoffs while refocusing on AI capabilities. This workforce restructuring reflects the industry-wide shift toward AI-driven operations and cost efficiency.

Affected employees will receive 16 weeks severance plus two additional weeks per year of service. Meta's pivot signals that AI expertise has become paramount, while traditional roles face elimination as the company streamlines operations to fund its technological transformation.