Meta Data Scientist Laid Off After Less Than a Year Considers Career Shift

A data scientist at Meta was laid off in May after working at the company for less than a year. The 24-year-old employee, who lives in New York City, said the layoff brought relief rather than distress. Rumors of layoffs began circulating in March. Colleagues checked email each Wednesday morning expecting announcements, and a formal date of May 20 was later confirmed.

The employee attributed the job loss to AI replacing repetitive data tasks. She noted that query writing and visualization work had already been automated at the company. Coworkers affected by the same round of cuts have posted on LinkedIn seeking new positions. The employee compared the situation to jumping from a large ship to smaller vessels during an AI-driven storm.

The employee said she no longer wants to pursue roles at large companies after interning at three of them. She described traditional data analytics positions as increasingly risky due to AI adoption. She plans to use several months of severance pay to explore options.

These include creating online content about AI and career transitions, and potentially offering career coaching. She stated interest in joining an AI startup if the team aligns with her interests, viewing that path as less risky long-term than remaining in conventional data roles.