Meta is confronting a lawsuit from several employees who allege that the company utilized artificial intelligence to identify workers for layoffs, disproportionately impacting those on maternity leave, medical leave, and employees with disabilities. The legal action, initiated in a California federal court, claims that Meta employed AI-driven performance evaluations and employee activity data, including productivity metrics, to determine which staff would be affected by a workforce reduction that saw around 8,000 employees let go earlier this year.
The complaint argues that Meta’s internal AI systems, rather than managers’ personal assessments, were used to score and rank employees. This process allegedly failed to consider approved leave periods, leading to lower performance ratings for those who had taken family or medical leave or required disability accommodations. Among the plaintiffs is a scientist who was informed of her termination just two days before she was due to give birth, and an engineer who contends that his performance rating suffered due to his absence while recovering from an injury. Additionally, a manager claims he was laid off shortly after starting medical leave.
The employees involved in the lawsuit are seeking a court order to pause the layoffs while the case is ongoing. They are requesting reinstatement, compensation for lost wages and benefits, and an independent review of Meta’s AI systems. The situation highlights growing concerns over the use of AI in workplace decision-making, with critics expressing worries that automated systems might introduce biases against employees who take legally protected leave.
Meta has refuted the allegations, asserting that decisions regarding workforce and organizational matters are made by humans, not artificial intelligence systems. This case contributes to the broader conversation about the potential pitfalls of integrating AI into employment practices, especially as technology increasingly influences critical workplace decisions.