Meta tracks workers to train AI

Is the "Year of Efficiency" becoming the "Era of Replacement"?. On May 20, 2026, Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) initiated a massive layoff of 8,000 employees—10% of its global workforce—to pivot toward an "AI-first" future. In today’s episode, we investigate the turmoil inside Menlo Park, where morale has hit record lows amid the rollout of controversial surveillance software designed to track employees' mouse movements and keystrokes to train AI agents.We break down Mark Zuckerberg’s internal memo, which warns that "success isn't a given" in the fierce AI race against Google and OpenAI. We also analyze the "AI Draft", a mandatory reassignment of 7,000 remaining staffers to new AI initiatives, and the employee petition—signed by over 1,500 people—protesting the use of their personal data to build their own digital replacements. From the "commiseration parties" in New York to the scramble for benefits before system access was cut at 4 a.m., we explore the human cost of a $145 billion bet on superintelligence.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scitech-brief--6846358/support.This episode includes AI-generated content.