Meta CTO says AI reorganisation was mishandled, admits employees lost trust
Follow UsMeta chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth has reportedly admitted that the company handled a major reorganisation of its AI teams poorly.
Bosworth also rejected the idea that AI would fully replace workers.
However, he warned employees that AI skills would become important
Meta chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth has reportedly admitted that the company handled a major reorganisation of its AI teams poorly. In an internal message to employees, seen by Wired, Bosworth said Meta did not properly explain the changes when it created its Applied AI division earlier this year. The unit, which includes around 6,500 engineers and product managers, was formed to work on projects related to the company’s generative AI models.
Survey“We’ve undermined the trust you have that your specific expertise and contribution will be valued, that you will grow and advance your career, and that this will be a place where you can actually have an impact,” Bosworth wrote. “We shook up the management structure that was providing you stability while rapid changes in strategy, including the boom/bust cycle of hiring, left entire teams in the lurch.”
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He also admitted that the company failed to communicate its plans clearly. Responding to a comment on his memo about the Applied AI team, Bosworth said, “We obviously did an atrocious job explaining the vision, giving people a clear picture of how we would support them and their careers in the shift, and painting a picture of how it would change over time.”
Meta plans to make several changes. Bosworth said managers will have fewer direct reports, with a target of around 20 employees per manager. The company will also try to reduce the number of times workers are moved under different managers during reorganisations.
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Bosworth also rejected the idea that AI would fully replace workers. However, he warned employees that AI skills would become important. “We should heed the saying, ‘AI won’t take your job but someone who knows AI might.’”
In a separate internal message, Applied AI leader Maher Saba told employees who had been moved into the division that they are free to apply for other roles within Meta if they found positions that interested them.
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