A Meta executive involved in a major internal AI restructuring effort is reportedly leaving the company, according to an internal announcement reviewed by Reuters. Emily Dalton Smith, who has been at Meta since 2015, previously served in senior product leadership roles, including vice president of product management and head of product for Threads, the company’s microblogging platform.

Her exit comes roughly two months after she was assigned to lead efforts to improve Meta’s internal AI tools as part of a broader company-wide shift focused on embedding artificial intelligence across both user-facing products and internal operations. The restructuring is aimed at building AI agents capable of performing tasks traditionally handled by employees. However, the initiative has sparked internal tension, with some staff voicing concerns in meetings and internal forums. The changes have included workforce reductions, internal team reshuffles, and the rollout of monitoring tools such as mouse-tracking software, which some employees view as controversial.

Dalton Smith had been leading a “pod” focused on developing key AI infrastructure, including interfaces, automation systems, memory capabilities, and shared product experiences designed to make AI tools more useful across the company. This effort is part of Meta’s broader “Agent Transformation Accelerator” program, outlined by CTO Andrew Bosworth. Her team also worked on Metamate, Meta’s internal AI assistant, which is intended to unify the company’s fragmented set of workplace AI tools into a single platform for tasks such as research, coding support, and presentation building.

She had previously described plans to integrate advanced features such as file-navigation agents, coding collaboration tools, and persistent memory systems, along with interface elements inspired by AI agent platforms like Manus, an AI startup Meta acquired for about $2 billion in 2023. Those integrations became more sensitive after regulatory pushback, including a reported order from Chinese authorities to unwind the deal, leading Meta to restrict the tool’s access while reviewing its response. Dalton Smith also indicated that the updated capabilities were expected to roll out within Metamate starting June 1. In her departure note, she said she would remain at Meta temporarily to assist with the transition of her team and future direction, though she did not provide further details.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.