Shopee despide en silencio a empleados! La empresa matriz se enfoca en impulsar la IA, ¿por qué recortan primero a los ingenieros y no a otros puestos?

Shopee's parent company, Winter Sea Group, quietly laid off hundreds of engineers, accounting for about 8% of the development team. This move aims to respond to core business competition, reduce traditional manpower, and fully focus on AI fields. But why was this round of layoffs primarily targeted at engineers?

Shopee development team cuts 8%, quietly streamlining staff

The well-known shopping platform Shopee, which is preparing for the 618 shopping festival, has had its parent company quietly lay off hundreds of employees this week.

According to Bloomberg, Shopee's parent company, Sea Ltd., laid off hundreds of developers this week, affecting about 8% of the development team. Headquarters employees received termination notices sequentially on June 8, mainly affecting software engineers and quality assurance (QA) roles in product and engineering teams.

This round of layoffs at Shopee did not hold a company-wide meeting; employees only learned about the layoffs after colleagues lost access to work accounts. The HR department notified employees through individual interviews, with a severance plan of N+2, meaning one month’s salary for each year of service plus an additional two months’ pay.

Shopee's spokesperson also responded to the layoffs, stating that the company regularly evaluates organizational staffing and makes adjustments based on operational priorities.

Shopee's parent company accelerates market expansion, aiming for trillion-dollar valuation

The layoffs at Shopee are closely related to the parent company's strategy to develop AI. According to Singapore media CNA, Sea Ltd. CEO Forrest Li mentioned in an employee memo in 2025 that if the company fully invests in AI and makes the right decisions, it could potentially reach a valuation of one trillion dollars in the future.

To find new growth engines, Sea Ltd. continues to expand its AI investments. In addition to partnering with Google in February this year to integrate AI technology, it also established an AI Excellence Center in Singapore in April. Financial reports show that in the first quarter of 2026, Sea Ltd.'s operating expenses increased by 43.4% year-over-year to nearly $2.6 billion, but net profit still grew by 6.7% year-over-year to $438.2 million.

Image source: Flickr, Choo Yut Shing photography, Lunar New Year 2022, Shopee event at Smith Street Chinatown, Singapore

Why are Shopee layoffs primarily targeting engineers?

Shopee’s recent layoffs, primarily targeting engineers, reflect a structural shift in the tech industry following the introduction of AI.

The tech industry is concerned that AI will reduce reliance on traditional software tools, eroding the enterprise IT services market. Although AI has not yet translated into clear benefits, companies are seeking ways to accomplish more with fewer personnel to stay competitive.

Since September 2025, when Sea Ltd. reached a peak market value of about $116 billion, its stock price has faced significant correction due to factors such as rising oil prices in 2026 suppressing consumption and increasing costs.

Both Shopee and giants like Alibaba, amid intensifying core business competition, are choosing to cut back on traditional engineering manpower and accelerate AI investments to catalyze growth.

However, following reports of major layoffs at US tech companies like Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s Block, Oracle, and Meta, there is also controversy in the market about whether companies are merely using AI as an excuse, hiding their true intention to streamline personnel.

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