AI agents meant to replace Meta workers made “large-scale, disruptive actions”

THE NEWS

What happened

Meta abandoned a major restructuring initiative codenamed Project OT, which aimed to replace up to 60% of certain workforce roles with AI agents. The plan, initiated in January and partially executed in May, involved closing open roles and redeploying thousands of employees before being scrapped entirely.

CONTEXT

Why it matters

Meta has officially abandoned Project OT, an ambitious initiative designed to make the company 'AI native' by replacing up to 60% of specific workforce roles with artificial intelligence agents. Although the first phase saw some headcount reductions in May under CEO Mark Zuckerberg's direction, the second round of layoffs was canceled. Internal documents reveal that while thousands of employees were moved to priority teams, the drastic reduction plan was ultimately not fully executed.

AT A GLANCE

Key facts

• Meta explored a plan to reduce specific team headcounts by as much as 60 percent under Project OT.
• The initiative aimed to make the company 'AI native' by having AI agents perform daily work previously done by humans.
• CEO Mark Zuckerberg directed executives to proceed with management structure changes earlier this year.
• The first round of layoffs occurred in May, but Meta canceled the second planned round.
• Reuters reviewed internal documents and spoke with over 20 sources regarding the scrapped plans.
• Meta confirmed that not every scenario from their planning exercise was intended to be implemented.