Meta's Big Move: Jobs on the Line as Tech Takes Over
Meta, the tech giant behind Facebook and Instagram, has recently announced that some jobs in its risk division are being cut. This is because the company is shifting towards using more automated processes instead of manual reviews. Michel Protti, Meta's chief compliance and privacy officer of product, shared this news with the staff in an internal memo.
A Bigger Trend in the Tech Industry
This move is part of a bigger trend in the tech industry. Many big companies are now using technology and AI not just to create products, but also to change the way they operate and manage their workforce. Meta is no exception. The company has been investing in building more global technical controls over the past few years. This has allowed them to make their risk management and compliance processes more consistent and automated.
The Role of Human Judgment
As a result, many routine decisions can now be handled by technology. This means that Meta doesn't need as many people in certain roles as they did before. However, this doesn't mean that human judgment is no longer important. According to Protti, automation and technology will continue to strengthen Meta's compliance program, but human judgment will always be crucial for assessing novel and complex issues.
Confirmation and Reorganization
Meta spokesperson Thomas Richards confirmed the job cuts and the internal memo. He mentioned that the company routinely makes organizational changes and is restructuring to reflect the maturity of their program and innovate faster while maintaining high compliance standards.
Changes in Teams
As part of the reorganization, Meta is reducing roles in its:
- Product Risk Program Manager
- Shared Services
- Global Security & Privacy teams
They are also:
- Merging the Global Security & Privacy team with the Reg Readiness division and the data protection officer's team, renaming the group Regulatory Compliance Programs.
- Consolidating areas of work in London.
Additional Job Cuts and Hiring Plans
These job cuts come at a time when Meta is also laying off 600 employees from its Superintelligence Labs division. Despite these cuts, Meta's chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang, mentioned in an internal memo that the company will continue to hire industry-leading AI-native talent. The goal is to enable Meta Superintelligence Labs to move faster.
Automation in Hiring
Meta has also begun automating other areas of its business, including its hiring process. They are now conducting AI-assisted interviews and using AI to assess coding skills. Earlier this year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also mentioned that he expects the company to have an AI agent that can carry out the work of a midlevel engineer sometime this year.
