Meta’s Profit Surge Faces a Morale Crash Ahead of Mass Layoffs

Meta plans to cut about 10% of its staff (roughly 8,000 roles) next week, even as first-quarter profits near $27 billion; employees describe a grim mood driven by pay gaps, reduced stock-based pay, and a new AI-focused restructuring that includes mandatory monitoring software on company laptops to train AI models. The rollout has sparked privacy concerns and protests, with some UK workers organizing a union; despite the turmoil, a core AI team and some executives remain enthusiastic about Meta’s AI ambitions.