'Tell Him He's a Piece of Shit': Meta's New AI Unit Is a Total Mess

WIRED reports deep dysfunction inside Meta's new Applied AI team, a roughly 6,500-person unit formed in March to support AI researchers at Meta Superintelligence Labs. Employees describe the assigned work as menial and 'soul-crushing,' with some calling the unit a 'gulag' and themselves 'draftees.' The discontent is part of broader unrest at Meta after roughly 8,000 layoffs, prompting CEO Mark Zuckerberg to acknowledge mistakes and promise more stability.