Meta to Cut Hundreds of Jobs in Metaverse Division This Week

Meta’s Reality Labs is set to trim its workforce by about 10 percent, primarily affecting those working on metaverse projects, according to reports. This move appears to be a consequence of Meta’s shift in focus towards AI, which is diverting attention from its virtual reality initiatives.

In a recent meeting called by Meta’s chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, he emphasized the importance of the gathering, labeling it the “most important” of the year. Bosworth leads the Reality Labs division, which has a workforce of around 15,000. The news of layoffs within the VR team isn’t entirely unexpected, as reports surfaced last month indicating that Meta intended to reduce its metaverse budget by 30 percent.

These layoffs coincide with the rising popularity of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which are overshadowing its VR headsets. Even if AI weren’t the primary focus, the metaverse has faced challenges in gaining traction, with many users expressing the sentiment that the VR social platform is already fading away.

Meta has chosen not to provide any comments on the situation.