Meta Cuts 600 AI Roles as It Expands Superintelligence Team

Meta’s AI Restructuring Signals a Shift Toward Superintelligence

Meta is scaling back parts of its long-running artificial intelligence research division while investing heavily in a new team focused on building superintelligent systems.

According to a report from Axios, the company plans to cut around 600 roles across its Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) group and its AI product and infrastructure teams. The layoffs come as Meta continues to recruit for its newly formed TBD Lab, which is tasked with developing systems capable of achieving superintelligence.

A Meta spokesperson, Ana Brekalo, confirmed the report’s accuracy to The Verge, adding that affected employees will be able to apply for other internal roles.

FAIR’s Reduced Scope Amid Leadership Changes

FAIR has been a cornerstone of Meta’s AI research for years, contributing foundational models and innovations used across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. But the division’s focus has shifted in recent months following leadership departures and corporate restructuring.

Earlier this year, Joelle Pineau, who led FAIR, left the company. Meta AI’s head Alexandr Wang — formerly CEO of Scale AI — stated in August that the company plans to integrate “many of the research ideas and projects from FAIR into the larger model runs conducted by TBD Lab.”

That shift suggests Meta is consolidating its AI efforts under one ambitious direction — scaling advanced systems rather than maintaining separate research teams.

TBD Lab: Meta’s New Bet on AI Superintelligence

The newly established TBD Lab is central to Meta’s evolving AI strategy. Formed earlier this year, the unit focuses on building next-generation models designed to push the limits of current machine learning systems.

The company’s approach mirrors a broader trend in Big Tech, where AI leaders such as OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic are racing to build systems that can reason, learn, and adapt autonomously.

In an internal memo obtained by Axios, Alexandr Wang said the restructuring aims to make Meta’s AI teams more decisive and efficient:

“By reducing the size of our team, fewer conversations will be required to make a decision, and each person will have more scope and impact.”

The comment highlights Meta’s intent to move faster in an increasingly competitive AI landscape.

$14.3 Billion Investment and Hiring Shifts

The layoffs follow Meta’s recent $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, the data infrastructure company Wang previously led. Over the summer, Meta began a major AI hiring spree but later paused recruitment as it refined its internal structure.

The company is now channeling those resources into TBD Lab — aligning its teams, data operations, and research output under one high-performance umbrella.

According to internal sources, Meta’s goal is to combine FAIR’s deep academic research with TBD Lab’s focus on practical, scalable model deployment.

Meta’s Broader AI Vision

This restructuring marks one of the biggest shifts in Meta’s AI strategy since the company’s rebrand in 2021. While it may appear as a downsizing on paper, the move underscores Meta’s focus on building core infrastructure and superintelligence frameworks that will power future products and experiences across its platforms.

Meta’s long-term ambition is clear: to lead in the development of autonomous, large-scale intelligence models capable of powering the next generation of social, creative, and enterprise tools.

Industry analysts suggest this may also position Meta to compete more directly with OpenAI’s GPT models and Google’s Gemini, as all three companies aim to define what “superintelligence” means in the next decade.

A Calculated Reset, Not a Retreat

While the layoffs at FAIR have raised concerns about job cuts in the AI sector, insiders view Meta’s decision as a strategic consolidation rather than a cost-cutting move.

By merging research depth with large-scale execution, Meta appears to be preparing for a new era of model development — one where speed, scale, and intelligence convergence define the winners.

Meta’s pivot may reshape not just its own AI roadmap but also influence how other major players streamline their research divisions in pursuit of similar goals.

Summary

Meta’s restructuring reflects a deliberate pivot from broad AI research to focused innovation. The company’s decision to reduce 600 positions across FAIR while expanding TBD Lab marks a turning point — signaling Meta’s determination to lead the global race toward superintelligence.