Meta’s AI workforce unrest deepens as engineers describe ‘soul-crushing’ conditions
A report in Wired details how 6,500 staff in Meta’s new AI division face involuntary transfers and menial tasks, prompting a company-wide petition and executive apologies.
Internal dissent within Meta is intensifying as engineers in the company’s newly formed Applied AI unit describe working conditions as a “soul-crushing gulag.” The unrest centres on a three-month-old division comprising approximately 6,500 engineers and product managers, which has become a focal point for broader dissatisfaction regarding the company’s aggressive pivot toward artificial intelligence.
The tension boiled over during an internal livestreamed presentation where an employee hijacked the feed to deliver an expletive-laden outburst directed at senior leadership. According to reports, one presenter reportedly covered their face with their hands as the employee demanded that attendees convey their frustration to a senior AI executive. This incident has been cited as a symptom of simmering rage among staff who feel their technical skills are being wasted on menial tasks, such as generating puzzles and coding problems for AI training data.
Employees within the unit, now led by Maher Saba and reporting to CTO Andrew Bosworth, have adopted the term “draftees” to describe their involuntary transfer to the team. Many report being forced to join the group under threat of termination, with original structures seeing up to 50 employees reporting to a single manager. The work environment has been described as “brutal” by Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, who compared the experience to running a marathon in the middle of a hailstorm during calls with staff.
Parallel to the internal turmoil, more than 1,600 Meta employees across the company have signed a petition protesting a programme that monitors their clicks and keystrokes for AI training purposes. The discontent comes as Meta continues to funnel billions into AI initiatives, accelerating layoffs in other areas while expanding this specific unit, a strategy that has left many workers questioning the company’s direction and stability.
In response to the growing unrest, CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued an internal memo acknowledging that recent organisational changes had “caused distress” and admitting the company had made mistakes. While he stated that Meta’s goal remains to be the best place for talented people to make an impact, the combination of forced labour practices, surveillance concerns, and perceived waste of human capital suggests significant challenges ahead for the tech giant’s AI ambitions.
