Mark Zuckerberg leads Meta AI push: Billion bonuses planned; layoffs continue

Meta has rolled out a compensation plan linked to long-term growth. The company says top leaders will receive large stock rewards only if strict performance targets are met. Executives likely to benefit include Andrew Bosworth, Chris Cox, and Javier Olivan. Susan Li is expected to receive a smaller share compared to others. Dina Powell McCormick and Chris Mahoney are also part of the plan. This is the first time since 2012 that Meta has offered stock options of this scale to its senior team. The company says the goal is to align executive rewards with shareholder value.

Meta is making a strong push into AI; the company aims to reach a valuation of $9 trillion by 2031. Zuckerberg has said AI will change how people work. He believes advanced systems can do tasks that once needed large teams. To support this goal, Meta plans to spend about $115 billion this year. Most of this money will go into AI research, infrastructure, and hiring skilled workers. The company has already spent heavily to recruit AI experts.

At the same time, Meta has reduced its workforce: around 700 employees were laid off. The company also cut jobs in its Reality Labs division, which works on virtual reality and metaverse projects. The layoffs were part of a larger restructuring effort. Zuckerberg has said AI can make work more efficient as some projects can now be handled by a single skilled person instead of a full team.

Meta is also facing legal pressure. In a recent case, the company and Google were held responsible in a lawsuit related to social media addiction. A jury found that the platforms contributed to harm suffered by a young user. The case has raised concerns about how social media affects mental health, especially among young people.