Meta Employees Furious Over Zuckerberg’s AI Hackathon Plan

Mark Zuckerberg’s internal announcement on Friday about a large-scale AI hackathon at Meta next month was met with immediate anger and disbelief from employees, many of whom feel stretched too thin to take on extra work. The company’s CEO pitched the event as a way to rebuild camaraderie amid widespread internal unrest, but internal messages obtained by WIRED reveal a very different reaction.

Workers flooded internal channels with complaints, pointing to recent mass layoffs that have left teams understaffed and overburdened. One employee wrote, “I’m literally preoccupied with keeping the lights on for my team. I have no incentive to participate, let alone have the time to do so.” Others echoed this sentiment, saying that added responsibilities in the wake of job cuts have made it nearly impossible to carve out time for what they see as an optional activity.

The hackathon, scheduled for July 14 to July 16, was introduced by Zuckerberg as a way to foster team spirit. Vice President of Product Management Ime Archibong later clarified that the event would focus “exclusively on AI Innovation.” But his post quickly drew sharp pushback. One employee commented, “I’m not sure that this company supports a hackathon culture anymore. People are being asked to cover more work with less support while their colleagues get laid off, while also trying to avoid the risk of causing SEV1s with incautious AI use.” That comment alone garnered more than 200 thumbs-up and heart reactions.

A major source of frustration is that hackathon efforts won’t count toward performance evaluations, leaving employees feeling they would be sacrificing time on core projects for no professional reward. One staffer wrote, “I honestly don’t have the time to focus on this, and I’m expected to be 100% devoted to regular work. I’ve participated in previous hackathons but this no longer feels like an option alongside pod sprints in my corner of the company.”

Another employee highlighted a deeper issue, calling it “a disappointing change in culture” because “I don’t believe there is sufficient feeling of safety to spend time on hackathon innovations.” The sentiment points to a broader erosion of trust in leadership, with many workers questioning whether the company’s priorities align with their day-to-day realities.

Meta has long hosted internal hackathons, but two sources told WIRED this is the first companywide one since 8,000 people were laid off last month. A software engineering veteran attempted to calm the backlash by saying everyone is encouraged to participate, but the response was lukewarm. “Every org I know has super aggressive goals, with efficiency gains expected and significantly less staffing,” one employee replied. “There’s less time for focusing on other axis.”

The hackathon is part of a broader effort by Zuckerberg to reenergize his workforce and address internal criticism. He also announced that budgets for team offsites would increase and that hot desking, a practice where part-time office workers share desks, would be eliminated in some locations. Last year, a group of employees surveyed colleagues about the chaos and lost productivity caused by desk removal, urging management to restore dedicated workspaces. The layoffs have freed up room, but employees say they’ve left even less time for extracurricular projects.

Meta declined to comment for this story.