Meta is downsizing its legacy AI research team

Meta is readying to axe astir 600 roles wrong its bequest AI probe division, according to a study from Axios. The layoffs volition reportedly interaction Meta’s Fundamental AI Research unit, besides known arsenic FAIR, on with its AI merchandise and infrastructure division, portion the institution continues to prosecute workers for its recently formed superintelligence team, TBD Lab.

Meta spokesperson Ana Brekalo confirmed to The Verge that Axios’s reporting is accurate. Over the summer, Meta kicked disconnected an AI hiring spree aft investing $14.3 cardinal successful Scale AI and hiring CEO Alexandr Wang. It paused hiring conscionable months aboriginal and announced a restructuring that volition absorption connected AI-related products and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Meta’s AI probe squad has taken a backseat, with FAIR person Joelle Pineau leaving earlier this year. In August, Meta AI’s caput Wang said that Meta “will purpose to integrate and standard galore of the probe ideas and projects from FAIR into the larger exemplary runs conducted by TBD Lab.”

Now, Meta is reducing roles wrong FAIR and different divisions arsenic it makes high-profile hires for TBD Lab.

“By reducing the size of our team, less conversations volition beryllium required to marque a decision, and each idiosyncratic volition beryllium much load-bearing and person much scope and impact,” Wang writes successful a memo seen by Axios. Meta volition let impacted employees to use for different roles wrong the company, Axios reports.

Update, October 22nd: Added confirmation from Meta.