Meta’s 6,500-person Applied AI unit backing $14.3 billion Alexandr Wang bet is described by engineers as a ‘total mess’

Meta’s newly formed 6,500-person Applied AI department has been hit by severe internal turmoil, with engineers calling the work “soulcrushing” and staging public protests. CTO Andrew Bosworth has acknowledged the company’s AI rollout was “atrocious,” while Mark Zuckerberg has admitted to “mistakes.” The unit was created to support chief AI officer Alexandr Wang, hired in a $14.3 billion deal, but its first model, Muse Spark, has drawn a muted response. Meta shares are down 18% so far this year, the weakest performance among major U.S. tech companies.