Meta laid off 8,000 workers, about 10% of its workforce, while transforming into an AI-first firm. Employees responded in different ways, including somber messages, internal forum reactions, and humor. One employee created an internal radio station using Meta’s AI tools to generate songs about the job cuts. The station, called 520 FM, was announced with language mimicking Meta’s human resources tone and referenced May 20 as the layoff date. The station was described as a 24/7 AI-native initiative featuring original curated anthems across multiple genres. Songs included hip-hop, country, rock, and metal, with tracks such as “Meta Layoff” and “Missing the People.”
"The worker used Meta's own A.I. tools to create an internal radio station that plays A.I.-generated songs about the job cuts, according to internal posts and recordings of the songs that were obtained by The New York Times, as well as interviews with about a dozen employees. The employee announced the station, called 520 FM a sendup of the May 20 date for the layoffs in an internal post using language that mimicked the institutional voice of Meta's human resources department."
"We realize many of you are experiencing elevated anxiety, wrote the worker, whom other employees declined to name for fear of retaliation. To support you through this transition, we've launched an A.I.-native initiative: Meta 520 FM a 24/7 internal radio station featuring original curated anthems alongside multiple genres to support your diverse coping preferences."
"Meta Layoff, which had the tongue-in-cheek chorus marrying joke, broke and layoff, laid down an easy-listening guitar lick with a finger-snapping rhythm, set to the voice of an R&B vocalist. Another track was a Lo-Fi acoustic guitar song called Missing the People, with re"
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