According to a report by Axios, Meta is planning to cut approximately 600 positions within its artificial intelligence division. This reduction will impact both the company's foundational AI research group, known as FAIR, as well as its AI product and infrastructure departments. Meanwhile, Meta will continue expanding its newly established advanced intelligence unit, TBD Lab.

An Meta spokesperson, Ana Brekalo, confirmed to The Verge that the Axios report was accurate. Earlier in the summer, Meta entered an aggressive AI hiring phase following a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI and the recruitment of its CEO, Alexandr Wang. However, just a few months later, hiring was paused, and the company announced a restructuring effort focused on AI-related products and infrastructure.

At the same time, Meta's AI research team has taken a back seat, particularly after FAIR director Joelle Pineau left the company earlier this year. In August, Wang, who leads Meta AI, stated that the company would "focus on integrating and expanding many of FAIR’s research ideas and projects into larger model operations conducted by TBD Lab."

Currently, Meta is reducing roles within FAIR and other departments as it aggressively recruits for TBD Lab.

"By reducing the size of our team, there will be fewer conversations required to make decisions, and each person will carry more weight, with greater scope and impact," Wang wrote in a memo seen by Axios. According to the Axios report, Meta will allow affected employees to apply for other roles within the company.