Meta's Reality Labs Leader Deems Upcoming Meeting Paramount, Advocates for Physical Attendance

Meta's Chief Technology Officer and head of Reality Labs, Andrew Bosworth, has scheduled a significant all-company meeting set for January 14, which he believes to be the year's most crucial.

Bosworth has issued a strong recommendation for Reality Labs staff to be present physically for this gathering, as noted by two employees talking to Business Insider.

This marked emphasis on in-person presence is uncommon for Reality Labs, which manages projects related to the company's wearable tech, virtual and augmented reality, and budding robotics division.

Certain managers have gone as far as advising their teams to prioritize attending in person, according to a report by one employee to Business Insider.

Meta has yet to issue a statement regarding inquiries about this meeting.

Despite occasional achievements like their smart Ray-Ban eyewear, Reality Labs has been a significant financial burden for Meta, reporting losses exceeding $70 billion since 2020.

In the previous year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg redirected Meta's core strategy toward artificial intelligence (AI) rather than the metaverse. Notably, in 2025, Meta invested $14.3 billion into Scale AI and appointed its CEO, Alexandr Wang, reflecting a pivotal move in its AI endeavors.

Alongside this shift, Meta embarked on an extensive hiring initiative, bringing aboard elite AI professionals from competitors such as OpenAI and Google DeepMind.

Reality Labs has undergone multiple rounds of financial tightening over the past year. December saw reports from Business Insider indicating potential budget reductions of up to 30% and potential layoffs within Reality Labs.

Previously in April, layoff waves hit Meta's Oculus Studios, the internal gaming arm, and the developers of Supernatural, a VR fitness app acquired by Meta for $400 million. This was part of broader cuts in January 2025 when around 4,000 positions were eliminated across Meta, with Reality Labs alone seeing 560 job losses.

As captured in an internal memo from earlier last year obtained by Business Insider, Bosworth labelled 2025 as the most significant year in his tenure at Reality Labs.

Bosworth emphasized, "This year likely determines whether this ambitious project will be remembered as visionary work or a grand misadventure."