Meta Cuts AI Jobs While Seeking “AI Native” Talent

Strategic Shift in AI Hiring

Meta Platforms is reportedly eliminating hundreds of positions within its artificial intelligence division, according to recent news reports that reveal a strategic recalibration of the company’s workforce. The layoffs impact employees across AI product development, research initiatives, and infrastructure teams—coming just months after the company embarked on an aggressive hiring spree to bolster its AI capabilities.

Despite these cuts, Meta’s chief AI officer told The Wall Street Journal that the company remains committed to acquiring what he termed “AI native” talent. This emerging category of professionals appears to represent a more specialized focus within Meta’s broader artificial intelligence strategy, suggesting the company is becoming more selective about the specific skills it values most.

Defining the “AI Native” Professional

The terminology raises immediate questions about what exactly distinguishes an “AI native” professional in today’s competitive landscape. For context, “digital native” has described Generation Z for nearly a decade, referring to those who’ve never known life without internet connectivity. The subsequent Generation Alpha is already being called “generation AI,” though the oldest members of that cohort are only around 15 years old—clearly not the talent pool Meta is targeting.

Industry analysts suggest “AI native” likely refers to professionals whose entire career development has occurred alongside the modern AI revolution, particularly those who think natively in terms of AI-first solutions rather than treating AI as an add-on to existing workflows. These individuals would possess deep understanding of AI development principles and architectures from the ground up, rather than retrofitting AI into traditional software paradigms.

What’s particularly interesting is how quickly this terminology has entered the corporate lexicon. It appears to be gaining traction precisely as companies intensify their competition for specialized AI talent, with Meta Platforms and other tech giants scrambling to secure professionals who can drive innovation in an increasingly crowded field.

Broader Industry Implications

This selective hiring approach reflects a maturation in how major tech companies are approaching AI investment. Rather than blanket hiring across all AI functions, companies appear to be zeroing in on specific skill sets that align with long-term strategic goals. The shift suggests that after initial broad investments, the industry is entering a phase of more targeted talent acquisition.

Meanwhile, the timing of these layoffs alongside continued specialized hiring indicates Meta is optimizing its workforce composition rather than reducing its overall commitment to AI development. Sources familiar with the matter suggest the company is reallocating resources toward what it considers higher-priority AI initiatives, though Meta has not publicly commented on the specific strategic rationale behind these moves.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, this rebalancing act comes during a period of intense competition in the AI space, with companies vying not just for market position but for the relatively limited pool of truly exceptional AI talent. The emergence of specialized terminology like “AI native” serves as another indicator of how quickly this field is evolving—and how companies are struggling to define and secure the specific expertise they need to stay competitive.