Laid off from Meta, a data scientist bets on an AI-powered career pivot

A 24-year-old Meta data scientist, Moyan Chen, was laid off in May after less than a year on the job and says AI-driven changes are prompting her to abandon the traditional corporate ladder. She plans a pivot toward AI-focused work, content creation, and possibly an AI startup or career coaching, using severance to explore options. Chen believes AI will replace many repetitive analytics tasks and that data scientists will need broader skills beyond coding and SQL, fueling a shift toward roles that align with her values and interests as she documents her journey online.