# Meta CTO Dismisses Vacation Requests: 'It's Very Dumb' to Ask for More Time Off > Source: > Published: 2026-08-10 08:20:05+00:00 # Meta CTO Dismisses Vacation Requests: 'It's Very Dumb' to Ask for More Time Off ## Companies are exploring AI to boost productivity, but how that capacity is used depends on employer choices Meta chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth has told employees that productivity gains from artificial intelligence should be used to build more products rather than create additional time off. The comments came during a recent employee Q&A after a worker asked whether Meta could bring back Meta Days, a former programme that provided staff with additional paid days away from work. Bosworth responded bluntly. According to *Business Insider*, he told employees to stop asking about Meta Days and described the question as very dumb. He said he hoped employees would use the extra time created by AI to do more and build cooler products for people using Meta's platforms. Bosworth also used his own working habits as an example. He said that when he gets an extra hour, he puts that time into his work. The executive later apologised for coming down too hard on the employee. He also acknowledged that the question may have been tongue-in-cheek. ## What Happened to Meta Days Meta introduced Meta Days in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The programme gave employees additional days off around several holiday periods. It was designed to support workers during a period when companies were dealing with widespread changes to working conditions and concerns about burnout. Meta later ended the programme. The company replaced it with two choice days that employees can use at their discretion. Meta employees also receive four weeks of annual leave and public holidays, according to *Business Insider*. The latest exchange therefore brought an old workplace perk back into the spotlight. However, Bosworth made clear that he does not support using AI-driven productivity gains to restore the former programme. His argument was that employees should use the additional time created by AI to produce more work and develop new products. ## Meta Is Betting Heavily on AI Bosworth's comments come as Meta continues to make artificial intelligence a central part of its business strategy. The company has committed substantial resources to AI infrastructure while also reducing its workforce. Reports cited in the supplied material say Meta [cut about 8,000 jobs](https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/meta-layoffs-impact-family-planning-ai-restructuring-1813019) in May. The company has also planned spending of as much as $135 billion on [AI infrastructure](https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/zuckerbergs-leaked-audio-meta-ai-struggles-1807607) this year. The combination of job cuts and major AI investment has intensified discussion about how companies expect workers to use AI. For businesses, AI can potentially allow employees to complete certain tasks faster and increase overall productivity. The question is what companies do with those gains. At Meta, Bosworth's answer is that the additional capacity should be directed towards more work and new products rather than additional leave. ## AI and the Future of Work The debate is not limited to Meta. Companies across technology and other industries are examining how artificial intelligence can change the amount of work employees can complete. AI tools can automate repetitive tasks, assist with coding, analyse information, and help employees produce content more quickly. Those changes can create additional capacity. But the use of that capacity depends on decisions made by employers. At Meta, the company's technology chief has publicly argued for using those gains to increase output. His comments come as the company continues to expand its AI operations and restructure parts of its workforce around the technology. ## Employee Monitoring Adds to the Debate Meta has also faced scrutiny over how it collects workplace data for AI development. Reuters reported that Meta began using software on the work computers of some US employees that could capture information such as mouse movements, clicks and keystrokes, along with occasional screen images. The company said the information was intended to help train AI systems and was not designed for employee performance assessments. It also said safeguards were in place. *The Guardian* later reported that Meta paused the employee-tracking programme in June following concerns about privacy and access to the collected information. The developments highlight the wider changes taking place inside Meta as the company increases its focus on AI. ## The Cost of Greater Productivity The discussion over Meta Days reflects a larger question about the benefits of workplace automation. If AI enables employees to complete work more quickly, companies can choose to increase output, reduce costs, or allow employees to spend less time working. Different companies may make different choices. Bosworth's comments indicate Meta's current priority. Rather than treating AI productivity gains as a reason to restore additional holidays, he wants employees to use those gains to create more products and services. That position comes directly from one of Meta's senior technology executives and provides a clear indication of how the company views the relationship between AI and productivity. For Meta employees asking whether artificial intelligence could eventually mean more time away from work, Bosworth's response has now been made clear: the company expects those productivity gains to be directed towards building more. © Copyright IBTimes 2025. All rights reserved.