Meta layoffs controversy grows after ex-employee’s anti-AI video goes viral

Meta has recently been caught in intense backlash after laying off 8,000 employees which is 10 percent of its workforce and reassigning 7,000 staff members to focus on training AI models.

As the result of massive layoffs, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram has received fierce criticism not only from employees but also from the tech community. The move was so sudden and shocking that employees woke up to termination emails sent at 4am.

Some ex-employees took to the internet to vent out their frustration over such unprofessional and toxic behaviour. An engineer named Jeremy Bernier, an engineer laid off from Meta wrote on X account, calling Meta “the most toxic company I have worked for.”

Another former employee who was also laid off also said goodbye to Meta by creating a scathing anti-AI video.

Software engineer David Frenk created a high-production-value parody of "American Pie" as a "badge post", highlighting a final message upon leaving the company.

The video went viral internally, capturing employee frustration with executive leadership.

The video specifically takes an aim on Meta’s “Model Capability Initiative” (MCI). Earlier this month, the company introduced this tool to track staff mouse clicks and keystrokes for AI training to mimic human behaviour.

Despite the constant surveillance, the employees are also frustrated by the disconnect between mass layoffs and record-breaking profits the company is receiving.

The video has also gained traction beyond internal channels, especially on Blind where employees are voicing their concerns regarding negative culture in the tech industry.