Meta Platforms is currently embroiled in a legal battle as a group of employees has filed a lawsuit alleging the tech giant used artificial intelligence to select individuals for layoffs. The lawsuit claims that the reliance on AI systems resulted in the disproportionate targeting of employees who were on maternity leave, medical leave, or those with disabilities.
The federal lawsuit, presented in a California court, accuses Meta of utilizing AI-driven assessments and employee activity data, such as productivity metrics, to determine which staff members would be part of the job cuts. This workforce reduction earlier this year reportedly impacted approximately 8,000 employees. The plaintiffs argue that instead of relying on managers’ evaluations, Meta deployed internal AI systems to score and rank employees, which failed to consider approved leave periods. Consequently, employees who had taken family or medical leave or who had received disability accommodations ended up with lower performance scores.
Among the plaintiffs is a scientist who was informed of her termination just days before giving birth. Another case involves an engineer who was in recovery from an injury and claims his performance ratings suffered due to his absence. A manager who had recently begun medical leave also alleges that he was laid off shortly thereafter. The affected employees are seeking a court order to suspend the layoffs during the litigation process and are demanding reinstatement, compensation for lost wages and benefits, and an independent review of Meta’s AI systems.
Meta has refuted the allegations, maintaining that decisions regarding workforce and organizational changes are made by human judgment rather than automated systems. This legal challenge arises amidst increasing scrutiny over the use of artificial intelligence in workplace decision-making, with critics expressing concerns that such systems could inadvertently introduce biases against employees who utilize legally protected leave options.