Meta's CTO Says Company Morale Is Among 'Worst It's Ever Been' Amid Layoffs and AI Initiatives

Meta's top technology officer has acknowledged that employee morale at the social media giant has plummeted to near all-time lows, citing the company's aggressive cost-cutting measures and mandatory artificial intelligence training initiatives. Chief Technology Officer Andrew "Boz" Bosworth made the candid admission during an internal town hall meeting on June 2, telling staff that the current morale situation ranks among the worst in his 20 years at the company, comparable only to the Cambridge Analytica scandal of 2016.

The morale crisis stems from several interconnected factors that have roiled Meta's workforce in recent months. The company laid off 10 percent of its staff in May, justifying the cuts as necessary to fund its substantial artificial intelligence investments. Additionally, Meta reassigned approximately another 10 percent of employees to mandatory AI training roles, with staff informally describing the reassignments as being "drafted" into data-labeling work. In April, Meta drew further backlash from employees over a surveillance initiative designed to track mouse movements and keystrokes to enhance its AI models, raising privacy concerns among staff members.

In response to the deteriorating workplace environment, Meta leadership has announced a series of measures aimed at restoring employee confidence and engagement. On June 3, Bosworth sent a company-wide memo emphasizing Meta's commitment to becoming "the best place for the best people to do their best work" and pledging to "rekindle the best of the culture" that attracted employees to the organization. The memo outlined commitments to leadership transparency and support for employees' personal and professional development, acknowledging that the company "must provide our people the support to do things the right way for the long term."

Specific remedial actions announced by Meta include allowing workers reassigned to the AI task force to reapply for alternative positions within the company, and increasing budgets for employee travel, events, and office amenities. However, these initiatives come as Meta continues its heavy investment in artificial intelligence capabilities, suggesting that the company intends to maintain its strategic focus on AI development while attempting to address workforce morale concerns.