Meta Staff Rebuke 3-Day AI Hackathon as 8,000 Layoffs Leave Teams Overstretched
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Jun 12
Meta Staff Rebuke 3-Day AI Hackathon as 8,000 Layoffs Leave Teams Overstretched
3 articles · Updated · WIRED · Jun 12
Summary
July 14-16 — Meta’s planned companywide AI hackathon triggered immediate employee backlash, with internal posts showing workers saying they lack time, trust and incentive to participate.
8,000 layoffs last month left teams covering more work with less support, employees said, making the event feel like an added burden rather than a morale boost.
200-plus reactions backed one comment saying Meta no longer supports hackathon culture, while others warned AI side projects could distract from core work and risk serious technical errors.
70,000 employees received Zuckerberg’s broader push to ease unrest, including bigger offsite budgets and ending hot-desking in some offices, but the hackathon response underscored how low morale remains.