This really doesn't sound believable to me, but who knows with all the craziness going on. Software developers in the US are seriously expensive, using them for data labeling would be a waste of resources. And the percentage sounds very high, unless "core teams" is only a small subset of the total developer count.
Would it? It seems like they can spend a few months extracting intelligence and "taste" from their engineers then get years worth of it back from the AI.
Soooo, yes it is a waste of resources ($$$). But this was the initial intention.
Ironically this vanishes when the tables are turned and we ask for things like better hardware or software. There are plenty of us here with stories of how much effort it took to convince employers that SSDs were worth it when they were new, small, and very expensive.
you realize that the majority of engineering positions at meta in fact arent dealing with the knobs and levers of manipulation? do you have no pity for the coal plant worker who supports his family while working for a company that pollutes the environment? Your shallow morals are disgusting.
The mental gymnastics people do to justify their decisions are hilarious. Just admit you have no morals and love money.
This seems like a fancily dressed up "fuck you, got mine"
a couple more details:
- No one knows what the next steps are with the AAI org - most of the people drafted were high performers (first draft exclusively selected from top 25% percentile ranked engineers). I can’t imagine Meta laying off these people? Most of them are incredibly talented engineers.
- managers in the AAI org have either 20 reports or more, by design from leadership. This is an insane structural decision for a brand new org where everybody is ramping up. my manager has no idea who I am, nor what I’m working on, and I’ve never met them despite me being on the team for nearly two months. I don’t really care because I’m not planning on staying here but it would be very toxic for most people.
- Last few years with PSC, 20% of all engineers, had to be rated with a less than a Meets expectations rating (aka a bad rating). Obviously this is an insanely high number and has led to a crazy amount of attrition and churn.
This culture is cooked. I don’t think that they’ll be coming back from this? I’m sure they will be able to coast along in mediocrity for many years given how much capital they have, but anybody who has options is planning to leave - or has already left.
Don’t forget failed, mentally ill manic rebrands that cost billions and go nowhere.
Oh, and enabling human traffickers.
Holy shit, talking about perverse incentives!
Either they are actively a narcissist, actively immoral, not intelligent enough to understand the vibe there, or they're actually unhappy and not being honest enough to tell you they hate it there. I have a hard time envisioning any other possibility. The place actively filters out morally coherent and intelligent people.
Yes I was there.
simonw•27m ago