In a nutshell: Remember when companies refused to admit that layoffs were the result of their AI adoption? Firms are no longer shy in admitting that technology has replaced human workers. Meta, for example, is laying off a number of people as a result of artificial intelligence automating their jobs – just days after the firm laid off 600 employees from its sprawling AI business.
Michel Protti, Meta's chief privacy and compliance officer for product, has informed members of Meta's Risk Organization that they are moving away from manual reviews to more automated processes, reports Business Insider.
Protti said that as a result of the increased automation, Meta does not need as many roles in the division as it once did. The executive never revealed exactly how many people will be laid off.
Meta's Risk Org is responsible for identifying, assessing, mitigating, and monitoring risks associated with Meta's products, services, policies, and global operations. The group overlaps with Meta's enforcement and policy teams in ensuring the platforms act in line with regulatory obligations and global-region-specific standards.
Protti added that moving from manual reviews to automated processes has resulted in more accurate and reliable compliance outcomes across Meta. There was the usual line about the technology freeing staff from mundane tasks to focus on more complex and high-impact challenges – those who haven't been let go, obviously.
"Through our product risk and compliance team, we've built one of the most sophisticated compliance programs in the industry to help us evaluate our products and features," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. "We routinely make organizational changes and are restructuring our team to reflect the maturity of our program and innovate faster while maintaining high compliance standards."
Somewhat ironically, the move comes just after Meta let go of around 600 employees from its AI division. Workers in the company's legacy Fundamental AI Research unit (FAIR) and its AI product and infrastructure division will be affected by the layoffs, while hiring for its superintelligence team will continue.
The list of companies that have let go of workers and blamed AI for the decision is a long and depressing one. But some critics say the technology is being made a scapegoat by firms who simply want to get rid of staff. By blaming AI, they can make the layoffs while appearing more cutting-edge, tech-savvy, and efficient in the eyes of potential investors.
