Meta Backs Off Plan to Replace Staff With AI After Internal Revolt and Weak Results
NewsData.io · United States · Aug 27, 2026
Meta quietly developed 'Project OT,' a restructuring plan that envisioned shrinking some teams by up to 60% by replacing workers with AI-supported 'pods.' After proceeding with a ~10% layoff in May, Zuckerberg scrapped a planned second wave of cuts amid employee pushback and disappointing AI performance — internal data showed technical and security incidents jumping 40% while user-facing improvements were modest. The reversal is a significant real-world signal for staffing professionals that AI-driven workforce reduction strategies face meaningful operational and human capital limits, at least at current capability levels.
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