An absurd drama that prioritizes efficiency

Amid the ever-changing landscape of the tech industry, layoffs are no longer a novelty. However, Meta's recent large-scale layoff of its AI department based on the number of code submissions is like a farcical drama. Behind the seemingly pursuit of efficiency, there are many details worth pondering and reflecting on.

Meta's current round of layoffs mainly relies on the number of code submissions. At first glance, this move seems to have the shadow of "scientific management", as if it is using data to speak and precisely screen out those "incompetent" employees. However, is the amount of code really the sole criterion for measuring an employee's value and contribution? This is just like judging the quality of an article by its word count, which is undoubtedly one-sided and absurd.

AI development is complex and creative, with code quality far exceeding quantity. Outstanding model developers often spend a considerable amount of time optimizing algorithms and adjusting parameters. These tasks are crucial to project outcomes, but they are difficult to be directly reflected in the amount of code submitted. In contrast, some employees blindly pile up code in pursuit of a large volume. Although it seems that they submit frequently, it may actually be ineffective and even pose hidden dangers. Meta's layoff based on the number of code submissions actually encourages "formalism" programming and disregards truly valuable technological innovations.

This round of layoffs has hit new employees and model developers hardest. When new employees first join the company, they are still adapting to the cultural environment and getting familiar with the project team. A small amount of code submissions at this stage does not mean they have no potential or ability. Meta's move is like pouring cold water on it, depriving it of the opportunity to prove its growth. It not only undermines personal career development but also wastes talent.

Model developers, as the core force of AI projects, often require in-depth thinking and extensive experimentation in their work. They may need to spend a great deal of time and energy on aspects such as algorithm selection and model structure design, and these efforts often do not produce obvious code results in the short term. Meta's judgment of their value based on the number of code submissions is undoubtedly an neglect and belittlement of their professional capabilities. This approach not only dampens the enthusiasm of model developers but may also cause the company to lose a group of outstanding technical talents, thereby affecting the company's long-term development.

Model developers are at the core of AI projects. Their work requires in-depth thinking and extensive experimentation. They are time-consuming and labor-intensive in algorithm selection and structural design, and it is difficult to achieve obvious code results in the short term. Meta's assessment of its value based on the number of code submissions is an neglect and belittlement of professional capabilities, which can dampen enthusiasm, lead to talent loss, and affect the company's long-term development.

This round of layoffs was led by Chief AI Officer Wang Tao, aiming to enhance operational efficiency and strengthen the status of new talents. However, the approach did not achieve the desired results. Improving efficiency should not sacrifice the interests of employees and the development of the company. Laying off staff based on the number of code submissions is a simple and brutal management approach, lacking humanistic care and technical understanding.

The laid-off employees will receive 16 weeks of basic severance pay and seniority compensation, and will officially leave on November 21st. In terms of figures, this compensation seems quite generous, but for those employees who have lost their jobs, it is merely a temporary economic comfort. In the technology industry, the competition for talent is fierce, and laid-off employees find it difficult to find job opportunities comparable to those in their original companies in the short term. Moreover, losing a job not only means financial loss, but also has a negative impact on an employee's psychology and life.

Meta's compensation plan is more like a formal "fulfillment of responsibility", lacking attention to and solutions to the actual difficulties faced by employees. It cannot make up for the career development setbacks and psychological traumas that employees have suffered due to layoffs, nor can it recover the possible losses that the company may face due to talent loss.

Meta's recent layoffs in its AI department based on code submissions are a farce that seems to pursue efficiency but is actually full of absurdity and short-sightedness. Today, with the continuous development of the technology industry, companies should pay more attention to the cultivation and retention of talents, adopt more scientific, reasonable and humanized management methods, rather than measuring the value of employees with a simple and crude yardstick. Otherwise, it will ultimately be the company's own interests and the healthy development of the industry that suffer.