Meta’s shift towards an AI-centric approach has taken a contentious turn. Just two days after reports of 600 layoffs in its AI division, the company announced further job reductions affecting over 100 employees from its privacy and risk review teams. According to a widely circulated report, these human roles are being replaced by automated systems intended for compliance and risk evaluations. This transition signifies a significant move in CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s ongoing endeavor to reshape Meta into a more streamlined, agile, and AI-oriented organization. Since declaring 2023 as the company’s ‘Year of Efficiency,’ Zuckerberg has been consolidating teams and advocating for automation across various business sectors, extending beyond product development to the internal mechanisms that ensure regulatory compliance.
In a recent internal communication, Alexandr Wang, Meta’s newly appointed Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, stressed that a reduced workforce would facilitate quicker innovation. He noted, ‘By reducing the size of our team, fewer conversations will be required to make a decision,’ as reported by a popular publication. His statement highlights Meta’s current strategy: minimizing meetings and increasing reliance on machine learning. Shortly thereafter, Meta’s Chief Privacy Officer, Michel Protti, announced further changes. In a company-wide memo, he indicated a shift ‘from bespoke, manual reviews to a more consistent and automated process,’ asserting that automation would yield ‘more accurate and reliable compliance outcomes.’ The risk review division, established following Facebook’s $5 billion settlement with the U.S.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2019, was intended to serve as Meta’s internal conscience—a final checkpoint for responsible data management. Now, a significant portion of that duty has been transferred to algorithms. Meta’s new framework will categorize potential concerns as ‘low-risk’ or ‘high-risk.’ Routine, low-risk updates will be automatically assessed by AI, with only high-risk alterations needing human review. However, skepticism lingers regarding this progression. Several employees conveyed to a popular publication that the layoffs signify a ‘gutting’ of the department that previously ensured user privacy and corporate accountability. Detractors fear that automation might miss nuanced ethical and regulatory nuances that necessitate human insight.
A Meta spokesperson minimized these fears, asserting that the company ‘routinely makes organizational changes’ and that this transition reflects the ‘maturity of our program’ while upholding ‘high compliance standards.’ Nevertheless, many within Meta perceive the move as a clear indication of Zuckerberg’s growing inclination towards efficiency and product speed over human oversight. The recent layoffs have particularly affected Meta’s London office, with reports indicating that over 100 positions within its global risk division have been cut. As Meta vies with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic for AI supremacy, it increasingly depends on artificial intelligence not only to enhance its products but also to regulate its own operations.
Whether these AI frameworks can emulate the discernment and accountability of human reviewers remains uncertain. For the moment, Meta’s ambitious investment in automation could either solidify its technological advantage or expose it to new challenges in the rapidly changing landscape of digital regulation.
