Big fears in Big Tech over AI job losses
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Updated / Sunday, 24 May 2026 07:45
A series of AI-related job cuts have hit the tech sector in Ireland in recent months (stock image)
Brian O\u0027Donovan
By Brian O'Donovan
Work & Technology Correspondent
The termination emails from Meta management landed at 4am.
It may have been early but most workers were probably already awake, waiting to learn their fate.
Of Meta's 1,800 Irish-based staff, around 350 received emails outlining how they were "potential impacted" by global redundancies.
It was a high number of Irish layoffs, double the 10% cut that was being applied to the worldwide workforce.
The announcement has sparked concern in both business and political circles amid fears that the great AI job displacement is already under way.
Meta job cuts
In January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that 2026 would be the year that AI starts to dramatically change the way the company works, with investments in AI tools that would involve "flattening teams".
"We're starting to see projects that used to require big teams now be accomplished by a single very talented person," Mr Zuckerberg said at the time.
Last month, news emerged that Meta would cut 8,000 jobs globally.
On Wednesday, impacted staff were informed with some 350 of them based at the company's Irish operation.
Workers were also told of plans to eliminate managerial roles and transfer 7,000 employees to new initiatives related to AI workflows.
If the full 350 job cuts are implemented, it will mean that Meta's Irish headcount will have halved from 3,000 just four years ago, to less than 1,500.
Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke said his message to Meta workers is that "the Government will have your back", offering support to gain employment again.
He spoke about the skills that the Meta workers have being in high demand in the wider economy.
But if Meta believes AI can replace the jobs, won't other companies feel the same?
Mark Zuckerberg said that investment in AI tool in Meta would involve 'flattening teams'
Other tech job cuts
In recent months, a series of AI-related job cuts have hit the tech sector in Ireland.
In October, online retail giant Amazon announced 14,000 global redundancies saying at the time that artificial intelligence and concerns over shifting corporate culture were to blame.
The move was expected to impact 150 Irish-based roles.
In January, Amazon announced a further 16,000 global cuts putting an additional 300 roles at risk in Ireland.
Last month it was reported that cloud computing firm Oracle was laying off thousands of employees globally as it ramped up spending on AI in an effort to better compete with rivals.
The move led to 150 roles in Ireland being at risk of redundancy.
In February, financial technology firm Block announced plans to cut over 4,000 jobs, nearly half its global workforce, due to the adoption of AI across its operations.
Block was co-founded by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.
"Intelligence tools have changed what it means to build and run a company," Mr Dorsey said in a statement at the time.
"A significantly smaller team using the tools can do more and do it better," he added.
It came just weeks after Block announced the opening of new offices in Dublin for its 300 Irish-based employees.
AI washing
There is a school of thought that tech companies could be "AI washing", blaming artificial intelligence for job losses that are not actually connected to the adoption of the technology.
In 2022 and 2023 there were waves of job cuts across the tech sector due to Covid-era over-hiring.
During the pandemic, everyone was stuck at home using technology to work and ordering products online, ramping up demand for internet services.
When the lockdowns were lifted and normal life resumed, many tech firms realised that they had too many staff and mass layoffs ensued.
Some analysts think that overstaffing from that era is still an issue for certain companies and that this could be the real reason for some of the job cuts we are currently seeing.
In a recent interview, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said...