Meta Platforms, Inc. will lay off 8,000 employees, which is 10% of its workforce, as part of a significant shift towards artificial intelligence (AI) investments. The decision, announced in an internal memo, will take effect on May 20. Meta's chief people officer, Janelle Gale, emphasized that the cuts are necessary to improve operational efficiency and to manage the company's increased spending on AI initiatives. The company, which employs approximately 78,000 people, will also eliminate 6,000 open positions that were previously intended to be filled. This move aligns with CEO Mark Zuckerberg's vision of advancing 'superintelligence' to enhance advertising efficiency and create new opportunities, such as smartglasses in partnership with EssilorLuxottica. In its latest earnings report, Meta revealed a 40% increase in costs, totaling $35.15 billion for the quarter, driven by investments in AI infrastructure. Meanwhile, Microsoft is also reportedly planning to offer voluntary buyouts to over 8,000 employees as it invests $25 billion in AI and supercomputing in Australia, highlighting a broader trend in the tech industry towards AI-focused restructuring.