Meta's months-old AI unit is a soul-crushing gulag, say the engineers stuck inside it https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/12/metas-months-old-ai-unit-is-a-soul-crush
Engineers within Meta's newly formed Applied AI team are reportedly experiencing extreme dissatisfaction, describing their work environment as a "soul-crushing gulag." Many employees feel forced into the unit with little choice, performing tasks such as generating puzzles for AI model training. This discontent has led to protests, including a petition against data monitoring programs and an outburst during an internal presentation. Meta's leadership, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, has acknowledged the "brutal" and "distressing" conditions, with Zuckerberg vowing to address mistakes and improve the work environment. AI
IMPACT Employee dissatisfaction and potential unrest within Meta's AI division could impact its ability to attract and retain talent, potentially slowing down its AI development and research efforts.