Meta's months-old AI unit is a soul-crushing gulag, say the engineers stuck inside it

Overview

A Wired report describes Meta's three-month-old Applied AI unit, made up of roughly 6,500 engineers and product managers, as being on the verge of revolt. Employees say they were forced into the group with no real choice and assigned work generating puzzles and coding problems to train AI models, with some calling it soul-crushing. CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly acknowledged in an internal memo that recent changes caused distress and that the company made mistakes.

Key Takeaways

Meta's Applied AI unit employs roughly 6,500 engineers and product managers and is about three months old.
Employees say they were given a choice to join or quit, and many call themselves draftees.
Their assigned work is generating puzzles and coding problems to train AI models, which many describe as soul-crushing.
More than 1,600 Meta employees company-wide signed a petition protesting click and keystroke monitoring for AI training data.
Zuckerberg acknowledged in a Friday internal memo that changes caused distress and that the company made mistakes it plans to address.

Stats & Key Facts

#The Applied AI unit has roughly 6,500 engineers and product managers.
#The unit is three months old.
#More than 1,600 Meta employees signed a petition against click and keystroke monitoring.
#Meta bought Scale AI for $14.3 billion.
#Reality Labs burned through $83 billion on the metaverse.
#The unit was originally structured so up to 50 employees reported to one manager.

A Unit on the Verge of Revolt

A Wired report points to deep dissatisfaction inside the new group.

›The drama began when someone hijacked a livestreamed, employee-only presentation.
›The person delivered an expletive-laden meltdown aimed at a senior Meta AI executive.
›One presenter reportedly covered their face with their hands.

Wired reports that the outburst reflects simmering rage inside the three-month-old unit of roughly 6,500 engineers and product managers tasked with supporting the company's AI research ambitions.

The Draftees

Employees describe being moved into the group involuntarily.

›Many say they were forced into the group with no real choice: join or quit.
›Many call themselves draftees.
›A Business Insider report said some learned of the move through a surprise email.

One self-described draftee later described the process on Reddit as quite random. Employees say their assigned work is generating puzzles and coding problems to train AI models.

Why Meta Drafted Its Own Engineers

Internal communications explain the rationale.

›An April internal announcement said Meta's AI models still lacked the knowledge to outperform humans at technical tasks like coding.
›The post said the company needs real examples of how people complete everyday computer tasks.
›Zuckerberg said in leaked audio that Meta's average employee has significantly higher intelligence than third-party contractors.

Alexandr Wang, who sold his data-labeling startup Scale AI to Meta for $14.3 billion before becoming chief AI officer and heading Meta Superintelligence Labs, knows the data-labeling world well. Zuckerberg argued it was better to enlist Meta's own engineers than outside contractors.

Broader Discontent at Meta

Tension extends beyond the Applied AI unit.

›More than 1,600 Meta employees company-wide signed a petition protesting click and keystroke monitoring for AI training data.
›The mood across the company is described as dark.
›Chief product officer Chris Cox felt compelled to address the brutal environment on a call this week.

The company has executed seemingly endless layoffs over recent years, cuts that have accelerated as it funnels billions into AI.

How the Unit Is Structured

Leadership and reporting lines have drawn scrutiny.

›The Applied AI team is led by Maher Saba, a 12-year Meta veteran.
›Saba was previously a vice president in Reality Labs, which burned through $83 billion on the metaverse.
›The new organization reports up to Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth.

Originally the unit was structured so up to 50 employees reported to one manager.

Zuckerberg's Response

The CEO addressed the situation internally.

›Zuckerberg reportedly sent an internal memo on Friday.
›He acknowledged recent changes had caused distress.
›He admitted the company made mistakes it plans to address.

According to Wired, Zuckerberg added that Meta's north star is to be the best place for the most talented people in the world to make an impact. TechCrunch reached out to Meta for comment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is Meta's Applied AI unit?

It consists of roughly 6,500 engineers and product managers and is about three months old.

Why are employees upset?

Many say they were forced into the group with no real choice and assigned to generate puzzles and coding problems to train AI models, work they describe as soul-crushing, leading some to call themselves draftees.

Why did Meta use its own engineers instead of contractors?

Zuckerberg said in leaked audio that Meta believes its average employee has significantly higher intelligence than third-party contractors, and the company needs real examples of how people complete computer tasks to train its models.

What is the petition about?

More than 1,600 Meta employees company-wide signed a petition protesting a program that monitors their clicks and keystrokes to generate AI training data.

How did Zuckerberg respond?

He reportedly sent a Friday internal memo acknowledging the changes caused distress, admitting the company made mistakes it plans to address, and restating that Meta's north star is to attract top talent.

The report highlights the human cost of Meta's rapid AI push, with its own engineers reassigned to data work they did not choose.