Meta’s Chief Technology Officer and head of Reality Labs, Andrew Bosworth, has scheduled an all-hands meeting for January 14, calling it the “most important” gathering of the year. According to two Meta employees, Bosworth is strongly urging Reality Labs staff to attend in person—an unusual directive for a division that has increasingly embraced remote work. The emphasis on physical attendance stands out, especially given Reality Labs’ oversight of Meta’s wearable devices, virtual and augmented reality platforms, and emerging robotics initiatives. Some managers have reportedly instructed employees to “drop what they’re doing” to make the trip, highlighting the urgency surrounding the meeting. Meta has not yet responded to requests for comment on the event. The meeting comes amid continued turmoil and strategic shifts within the division, which has accumulated over $70 billion in losses since 2020 despite notable product launches like the Ray-Ban智能 glasses. In 2025, Meta pivoted sharply toward artificial intelligence, shifting focus away from the metaverse. The company invested $14.3 billion in data-labeling startup Scale AI and brought on its CEO, Alexandr Wang, to lead its AI ambitions. This move was part of a broader effort that included a massive hiring spree, recruiting top AI talent from competitors like OpenAI and Google DeepMind. Reality Labs, by contrast, has faced repeated downsizing. In December, reports indicated that Meta was preparing budget cuts of up to 30% and considering significant workforce reductions. Earlier in the year, Meta laid off employees from Oculus Studios, its in-house gaming team, and the team behind Supernatural, the VR fitness app acquired for over $400 million. These cuts followed a sweeping round of layoffs in January 2025 that eliminated nearly 4,000 roles across Meta, with at least 560 affecting Reality Labs. In a memo obtained by Business Insider last year, Bosworth described 2025 as “the most critical” year of his eight-year tenure at the company, writing, “This year likely determines whether this entire effort will go down as the work of visionaries or a legendary misadventure.”