Meta paused its Model Capability Initiative after an internal leak exposed employees’ private conversations, performance metrics, and keystroke logs across the company. The breach was rated SEV 2 on Meta’s 0–5 severity scale, prompting an investigation and a temporary suspension of the program.

Meta’s leadership shifted from a “move-fast-with-stable-infra” model to enforcing mandatory AI tools, tracking engineers’ every keystroke and click without opt-outs. This aggressive push has turned its once-prized engineering org into a monitored cost center, sparking outages and internal chaos.

A Wired report reveals deep discontent within Meta’s three-month-old Applied AI team, where 6,500 employees were “drafted” into grueling data-labeling work or forced out. Internal outbursts, petitions against keystroke monitoring, and surprise reassignments have left engineers calling the unit a “soul-crushing gulag.” Leadership acknowledges the mistakes and low morale in an internal memo.