Soundtrack to 8,000 Job Cuts: A Meta Worker’s Layoff-Themed A.I. Songs

A Meta employee used the company’s AI tools to launch an internal radio station called *520 FM* following Meta’s announcement of 8,000 job cuts on May 20, 2026—a 10% reduction of its workforce. The station, themed around the layoffs, featured AI-generated songs in genres like hip-hop, country, and rock, including tracks like *Meta Layoff*, which mocked the company’s financial struggles, and *Missing the People*, a Lo-Fi acoustic song referencing lost workplace connections. The employee framed the radio station in an internal post mimicking Meta’s HR tone, stating it was designed to ‘support’ workers through ‘elevated anxiety’ during the transition. Songs like *Big Beautiful Layoff* directly referenced the layoff process, such as a ‘frozen’ HR Zoom call screen, while others used humor to cope with the emotional impact. Meta declined to comment, but employees described the station as a welcome distraction and praised its creator for the effort. The initiative highlighted the company’s shift toward an AI-first strategy, even as it faced significant workforce reductions. The station’s name, *520 FM*, referenced the May 20 layoff date, and its creation demonstrated how employees used Meta’s own AI tools to process the company’s restructuring. The project went viral internally, with employees sharing reactions in forums and messages.