After 8k layoffs, Meta sued by former employees claiming it used AI
Former Meta employees have filed a lawsuit alleging that the company used AI-driven performance metrics to unfairly select staff for layoffs. The plaintiffs claim the system discriminated against those on protected medical or parental leave by misinterpreting their absence as poor performance.
Why it matters
This case highlights the growing legal and ethical concerns regarding the use of AI in human resources and workforce management.
Meta laid off 8,000 employees last month. The company is now facing a lawsuit from 26 current workers who claim artificial intelligence (AI) systems helped decide who would lose their jobs. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Oakland, California, alleges Meta used internal AI tools, keystroke and activity-monitoring data, AI token-usage dashboards and algorithm-assisted performance rankings to select employees for layoffs. The workers claim the system unfairly affected employees who were on medical, parental or family leave because it failed to account for legally protected absences. The social media giant has denied the allegations, saying people—not AI—made workforce decisions.Meta employees claim it used AI scores to decide layoffsAccording to the lawsuit, Meta used internal AI systems, keystroke and activity-monitoring data, AI token-usage dashboards and algorithm-assisted performance rankings to identify employees for layoffs.
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