Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has put a pause on hiring for its new artificial intelligence division—a break after months of heavy recruitment and investment. The Wall Street Journal first reported the freeze, which began last week amid an internal reorganisation of Meta’s AI operations.
A Meta spokesperson told CNBC that the pause was part of “some basic organizational planning: creating a solid structure for our new superintelligence efforts after bringing people on board and undertaking yearly budgeting and planning exercises.”
The company has since divided its AI efforts into four specialised teams under “Meta Superintelligence Labs,” including a group focused on machine superintelligence known as the “TBD lab,” alongside teams for AI products, infrastructure, and longer-term research. This reflects CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s aim to build AI surpassing human intelligence.
Meta has aggressively pursued AI talent, offering signing bonuses reportedly as high as $100 million. Among its notable moves was acquiring a 49% stake in AI startup Scale AI for $14.3 billion, bringing onboard founder Alexandr Wang, who now leads Meta’s lab developing the Llama open-source large language models.
Meta’s hiring pause coincides with growing concerns over the rapid pace of AI investment, including a recent drop in U.S. tech stocks. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently suggested AI may be in a bubble, though many analysts disagree.
“Altman is the golden child of the AI Revolution, and there could be aspects of the AI food chain that show some froth over time, but overall, we believe tech stocks are undervalued relative to this 4th Industrial Revolution,” said Dan Ives, technology analyst at Wedbush Securities.
Daniel Newman, CEO of Futurum Group, considers Meta’s hiring freeze a “natural resting point” after significant spending.
“After making several acquisition-sized offers and hires in the nine-figure range, I see the hiring freeze as a natural resting point for Meta,” he said, adding that the company likely needs time to integrate its new talent and evaluate progress before advancing further.
Despite the pause, Meta remains committed to AI innovation, using this period to solidify its team structure and prepare for the next phase in developing superintelligent systems.