Meta's AI Unit Plunges into Disarray
Meta's ambitious pivot to artificial intelligence has hit a significant snag, with its recently established Applied AI unit experiencing acute internal dissatisfaction and a near-rebellion among its 6,500 engineers and product managers. Formed in March, this unit is described by multiple current employees as a "soul-crushing gulag," where highly paid Silicon Valley talent are now "draftees" assigned to menial tasks. These tasks primarily involve generating puzzles and coding problems to train Meta's AI models.
The severity of the situation became public during a livestreamed internal meeting, open to thousands of employees, which was disrupted by an expletive-filled outburst. An attendee reportedly urged others to "tell him that he's a piece of sh_t" in reference to a senior Meta AI executive, causing one presenter to cover their face in shock. Many employees claim they were transferred to this group against their will, given an ultimatum to "join or quit."