Zuckerberg tells employees Meta “made mistakes” after May layoffs, as AI reshapes about a fifth of workforce

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged in an internal message to employees that the company “made mistakes” during the wave of layoffs announced in May, according to a report that surfaced the memo. The message comes as Meta says artificial intelligence and automation are changing the kinds of roles the company needs.

The report characterizes Zuckerberg’s memo as an attempt to own up to what it calls the disorder that followed the May layoffs. It says the CEO told employees that the process did not go as smoothly as it should have, and that this contributed to uncertainty inside the company.

Beyond the personnel fallout, the memo also points to structural changes driven by AI. The report says Zuckerberg told employees that AI and related systems are reshaping work across roughly 20% of Meta’s workforce, effectively changing job duties and, in some cases, eliminating certain functions.

The memo’s outlook is more restrictive than the past. The report says Zuckerberg told employees that Meta does not plan additional layoffs later this year, though it did not provide further detail on how the company will handle ongoing restructuring.

Meta’s workforce changes have been closely watched across the technology industry, where layoffs have often been framed as a response to shifting demand and to the higher costs of building AI systems. Meta has publicly highlighted AI as a core part of product development across advertising tools and content systems, but the operational path from AI strategy to headcount decisions tends to be more opaque.

In its public communications, Meta typically emphasizes investments in AI infrastructure and product improvements rather than workforce planning specifics. The company’s newsroom is the central place it shares updates on models, platforms, and initiatives, which can offer context for why internal job needs might be evolving even when the company does not spell out the exact employment impact.

What is not clear from the reported memo, and what was not disclosed in the available account, is the scale of any remaining job actions beyond the May cuts, the exact functions affected, or the criteria used for role changes. The report also does not quote specific lines about compensation, timelines for transitions, or how employees in impacted roles will be reskilled.

As Meta proceeds without additional layoffs this year, employees and observers will be watching how the company executes AI-driven changes in hiring, internal transfers, and performance expectations. The next indicates to look for include whether Meta expands upskilling programs, how it redesigns teams around AI products, and whether management communicates any further milestones for workforce planning.