Meta Cuts 600 AI Employees While Samsung Democratizes Access - Why This Duality Marks the Real Maturity of Artificial Intelligence

THE 600 employees laid off from Meta's AI division may seem contradictory at a time of technological euphoria, but it reveals something much deeper: we are witnessing the transition from the era of unbridled growth to the strategic maturity of artificial intelligence.

While Meta restructures to “accelerate decision making” and focus on superintelligence, Samsung launches the Perplexity TV on your smart TVs and presents the Galaxy XR with native AI. This apparent contradiction between contraction and expansion is not a paradox - it is the sign that AI is finally maturing.

The Restructuring That Reveals Maturity

When Alexandr Wang, director of AI at Meta and former founder of Scale AI, says that the goal is to “reduce the size of teams and speed up decision-making”, we're seeing a fundamental shift in Big Tech strategy.

This is not a crisis. It's strategic evolution.

Meta has invested US$ 14.3 billion in Scale AI and is attracting talent from OpenAI, Apple and Google with million-dollar salaries. Mark Zuckerberg wants to build “the most talented and dense team in the industry”, but has understood that more people doesn't always mean more innovation.

In the companies I follow, I see the same pattern: the first phase of AI was about mass experimentation. The second phase is about efficient execution and strategic focus.

Smart Democratization in Action

At the same time, we are witnessing the democratization of AI in a way that has never been seen before. The arrival of Perplexity on Samsung TVs is not just a technological novelty - it is the materialization of AI in the daily lives of Brazilian families.

With 12 free months of Perplexity Pro and integration with Vision AI Companion, we're seeing AI move out of laboratories and into living rooms.

The Galaxy XR goes further: it's a “native AI device” that combines extended reality with Google's Gemini. It's not about replacing what already exists, but creating new forms of interaction between humans and artificial intelligence.

Why This Expansion Is Different

Unlike the initial hype about generative AI, these launches have important characteristics:

• Native integration: AI is not an add-on, but a fundamental part of the experience
• Clear use cases: Voice search on TV, contextual augmented reality
• Accessibility: 12 months free democratizes access
• Ecosystem: Connects with other platforms and services

The Governance Challenges We Can't Ignore

But it's not all flowers on this journey to maturity. The last 24 hours have brought worrying cases that show the other side of the coin.

Deepfakes and Exploitation of Minors

In Indaiatuba (SP), 14 schoolgirls aged between 13 and 18 were victims of deepfakes who created fake nudes distributed on adult websites. The images accumulated 9,000 views before being removed.

This case perfectly illustrates why AI maturity can't just be technological - it needs to be ethics and regulation.

Irresponsible AI in the Judiciary

An even more bizarre case took place in the Santa Catarina Labor Court, where a AI-generated petition cited a bar owner as rapporteur, and completely false references. The lawyer was fined R$ 3.7 thousand for bad faith litigation.

These examples show that the democratization of AI without education and responsibility can be dangerous.

The Global Answer: Smart Regulation

It's no coincidence that India has proposed stricter rules on AI right now. With the creation of the Sahyog portal to automate government notifications and strategic partnerships with companies like Anthropic and Perplexity, the country is showing how to balance innovation and security.

The Indian movement is especially relevant because it recognizes that regulation is not an impediment to innovation - it is a condition for sustainable innovation.

The Debate on Digital Sovereignty

Jeff Xiong, from East China Normal University, brought a crucial reflection on how Western bias in AI poses threat to digital sovereignty of the Global South.

This is a point that resonates deeply in Brazil. We can't just be consumers of AI developed with worldviews that don't reflect our cultural and social diversity.

What this means for Brazil

This duality between strategic restructuring and accelerated democratization creates unique opportunities for Brazil:

1. time to build national capacities

While the Big Techs reorganize, there is room for us to develop local solutions that meet Brazilian specificities. A Anthropic, formed by former members of OpenAI, shows that it is possible to create alternatives focused on safety and ethics.

2. Emergency Education and Training

The cases of misuse of AI show that we urgently need digital education programs. It's not enough to democratize access - we need to democratize the responsible use.

3. Preventive, non-reactive regulation

The Indian example shows that we can regulate without slowing down innovation. O IA Unicorn Management Forum in Porto Alegre is an example of how we can discuss practical applications in the public and private sectors.

The Maturity We Need to Embrace

This week perfectly symbolizes where we are in the evolution of AI: moving from the adolescent phase of unbridled experimentation to the adult phase of responsible and strategic application.

Meta cutting 600 employees isn't a step backwards - it's focus. Samsung bringing AI to TVs isn't just innovation - it's intelligent democratization. Misuse cases aren't a reason for pessimism - they're reminders of the responsibility we have.

The maturity of AI is not only measured by technological sophistication, but by wisdom in its application.

Three Principles for this New Phase

1. Efficiency over Volume: Smaller, more specialized teams overcome large, disorganized teams

2. Responsible Democratization: Expanding access must be accompanied by education on ethical use

3. Digital Sovereignty: Developing national capacities without technological isolationism

The Time to Act Is Now

We are at a historic moment where AI is simultaneously consolidating and democratizing itself. For companies, governments and professionals, this means unique opportunities to position themselves strategically.

In my work with companies and executives, I see that those who understand this duality - between strategic focus and responsible democratization - are managing to create real value with AI, while others are still stuck in initial euphoria or paralyzing skepticism.

The question is no longer whether AI will transform your business, but how you will lead this transformation in a mature and responsible way.

In my executive mentoring, I help leaders and companies navigate exactly this transition: from experimentation to strategic application, from democratization to responsible use, from hype to real impact. Because AI maturity doesn't happen on its own - it needs to be built, decision by decision, project by project.