Meta Platforms(US:META) Feng Huang Wang·2025-10-23 06:26Core Insights - Meta is undergoing significant layoffs in its AI division, with 600 employees being cut, particularly affecting the FAIR lab led by LeCun, while the newly established TBD Lab remains unaffected and continues to hire [1][3][4] Group 1: Layoffs and Organizational Changes - The new Chief AI Officer, Alexander Wang, is spearheading the layoffs, citing the need to reduce bureaucracy and create a more agile operational model within the Meta AI department [3] - Employees in the U.S. will be informed by Wednesday morning whether they are affected by the layoffs, with Wang emphasizing that a smaller team will lead to quicker decision-making and greater individual responsibility [3][4] Group 2: Leadership and Strategic Concerns - CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed deep concerns regarding the lack of breakthroughs or performance improvements in Meta AI, which has driven the decision for these layoffs [4] - Wang's internal memo encourages affected employees to apply for other positions within the company, highlighting the value of their skills in different departments [4] Group 3: Research and Academic Freedom - LeCun has expressed frustration over new policies requiring external publication of research papers from FAIR to undergo additional review by TBD Lab, which he views as a threat to academic freedom [5] - LeCun has clarified his limited involvement with the Llama projects, asserting that he has not been directly involved in any Llama initiatives except for a minor role in Llama-1 and advocating for the open sourcing of Llama-2 [6]