How Project OT, Meta's Plan to Replace Staff With AI, Imploded
Project OT shows Meta's push toward an AI-native organization, with pod-based teams and large-scale layoffs, collapsed after the plan leaked and executives were caught unprepared.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
Reuters reports that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg planned a 2026 initiative codenamed Project OT to lay off and reassign large numbers of employees and replace them with AI. The plan considered reducing some internal teams by up to 60%. Internal backlash and executive unpreparedness followed the leak of the plan, leading to its failure.
Reuters traced Project OT from its January 2026 planning at a Hawaii retreat to its collapse. The plan called for two phases of layoffs, the first in May 2026 and a second in November, with one HR executive predicting a reduction exceeding 25%.
Meta had already piloted AI-centric teams. In July 2025, a project led by Vice President Ime Archibong created small technology pods of two to three engineers and one designer, replacing traditional teams of 10 to 20 people. An internal post titled AI-Native Playbook said traditional roles would be abolished and members would become builders overseen by a pod leader.
By June, at least 11 departments had adopted the pod system, but pod leaders lacked formal management authority and training, causing confusion. In March, before many vice presidents were briefed, Reuters reported Meta planned to lay off up to 20% of employees, creating anxiety and leaving executives unprepared.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.