'Drop what you're doing': Meta CTO calls Emergency-style all-hands meeting for reality labs. Here's why

Meta's Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth has convened an urgent all-hands meeting for Reality Labs, set for January 14, which he describes as the most crucial gathering of the year. Employees are being strongly encouraged to attend in person, a departure from the usual practice for the division that encompasses Meta's wearables, virtual and augmented reality initiatives, as well as its robotics projects. Sources within Meta indicated that some managers have urged team members to "drop what they're doing" to prioritize this meeting. Reality Labs has seen some notable achievements, such as the development of Ray-Ban smart glasses, but it has also been a financial burden, racking up losses exceeding $70 billion since 2020. The focus at Meta has shifted recently under CEO Mark Zuckerberg, moving from the metaverse to advancements in artificial intelligence. Notably, in 2025, Meta allocated $14.3 billion to Scale AI and appointed its CEO, Alexandr Wang. This strategy shift has included a significant hiring push, attracting top talent from renowned organizations like OpenAI and Google DeepMind. However, Reality Labs has experienced budget constraints and layoffs over the past year. Reports from December indicated potential budget cuts of up to 30%, along with job reductions. Earlier in 2025, Meta laid off employees from Oculus Studios and the team behind the VR fitness app Supernatural, a costly acquisition of over $400 million. This was part of broader company-wide layoffs in January that affected nearly 4,000 roles, including more than 560 positions within Reality Labs. In a memo from last year, Bosworth characterized 2025 as a pivotal year for his eight-year leadership at Reality Labs, stating that the outcomes of this year will determine whether their efforts will be viewed as visionary or as a historic misadventure.