‘Now it doesn’t feel safe’: Former Meta employee reflects on AI and job loss

🤖💼 The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is forcing many technology professionals to rethink what career security really means. Former Meta data scientist **Moyan Chen**, who was laid off less than a year after joining the company, says the experience completely changed her perspective on working in Big Tech. After months of uncertainty surrounding workforce reductions, she described finally losing her job not as a shock, but as a moment of relief after weeks of waiting for answers.

Chen believes AI is transforming the role of data scientists faster than many expected. Routine responsibilities such as writing SQL queries, generating reports, analyzing datasets, and creating visualizations are increasingly being handled by AI tools with remarkable accuracy. She argues that technical coding skills alone are no longer enough to guarantee long-term career stability. Instead, tomorrow’s professionals will need to combine technical expertise with business strategy, product thinking, communication, and decision-making—areas where human judgment still provides significant value.

Her experience also challenges the long-held belief that landing a job at a major technology company guarantees stability. Watching colleagues across Meta search for new opportunities reinforced her view that even the world's largest tech firms are no longer immune to rapid restructuring driven by AI, automation, and changing business priorities. Chen believes workers across every industry—not just technology—will eventually face similar questions as AI adoption accelerates worldwide.

Rather than viewing AI solely as a technological breakthrough, Chen now focuses on its growing impact on careers, workplace culture, and the future of employment. She has begun documenting her own transition online while exploring career coaching to help others navigate similar uncertainty. Although she remains open to joining an AI startup, she believes staying in traditional analytics-focused roles may ultimately carry greater long-term risk as automation continues replacing repetitive work. Her story reflects a broader shift taking place across the global workforce, where adaptability, creativity, and strategic thinking are becoming just as valuable as technical expertise in the age of artificial intelligence. 🚀📊