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Cloudflare Slashes 20% of Staff in Shift to Agentic AI-First Model

Executives frame the move as an AI-driven redesign of roles rather than cost cutting.

Overview

  • Cloudflare, which announced the plan Thursday alongside an earnings beat, will cut more than 1,100 jobs worldwide, about one fifth of its staff.
  • Leaders said internal use of AI agents jumped over 600% in three months, prompting a rebuild of teams and workflows for an agentic AI model that uses software agents to handle routine tasks.
  • Cuts span most departments and regions, with quota-carrying sales roles largely spared, and the company expects to substantially complete the overhaul by the end of the third quarter.
  • Cloudflare projects $140 million to $150 million in restructuring charges mostly in the second quarter, and departing staff get base pay through the end of 2026, U.S. health coverage through year-end, and extended equity vesting.
  • Shares fell roughly 18% to 24% after the news even though first-quarter revenue rose 34% to $639.8 million and guidance for the second quarter of $664 million to $665 million landed slightly below Wall Street expectations.