Meta to Shift Content Moderation to AI, Phase Out Human Reviewers

Meta has long relied on third-party vendors to conduct content moderation at scale for Facebook and Instagram, employing about 15,000 outsourced reviewers. It is now assigning repetitive image-review tasks to its own AI systems. The shift will test whether the platforms can continue to address scams, drug dealing and celebrity impersonation effectively while reducing labor costs.

Meta announced on March 19, 2026, that it would reduce its outsourced moderation workforce by 40% over the next 12 months and gradually phase out the related human roles over several years. It did not disclose costs or severance amounts. The company said its AI can identify an additional 5,000 scam attempts each day that human reviewers miss, has doubled its detection of adult sexual solicitation content and has reduced views of policy-violating and scam advertisements by 7%.