Months after Meta announced plans to cut roughly 8,000 jobs, the company is facing a lawsuit from 26 employees who allege it relied on artificial intelligence to help determine who would lose their jobs.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Oakland, California, alleges Meta (1) used an internal AI system that analyzed employee activity — including keystrokes, AI tool usage and performance rankings — when evaluating workers for layoffs
Must Read The complaint alleges the AI system disproportionately affected employees who had taken pregnancy, parental or medical leave because their time away from work reduced the activity metrics used to evaluate performance. All 26 anonymous plaintiffs took protected leave and requested or received workplace accommodations for disabilities. While they have been notified of their layoffs, their employment is not scheduled to end until July 22.
AI in HR under scrutiny The lawsuit comes as AI becomes increasingly embedded in the workplace. Gallup found that 41% (2) of employees say their organization has integrated AI tools to improve organizational practices, while regulators are increasingly scrutinizing how employers use the technology in hiring, promotions and layoffs. In a statement to Moneywise, a Meta spokesperson disputed the allegations, saying: “These claims lack merit and are not based on facts.