Meta is being sued by a group of employees who allege that the company’s use of artificial intelligence systems for determining layoffs disproportionately targeted workers who were on maternity leave, medical leave, or had disabilities. The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, claims that Meta implemented AI-driven performance evaluations and productivity data to decide on job cuts, impacting about 8,000 employees earlier this year.
The suit contends that instead of relying on managerial reviews, the company used internal AI to rank and score employees. The plaintiffs argue these systems did not adequately consider approved leave, leading to unfairly low performance ratings for those who took family or medical leave or required disability accommodations. Among those affected is a scientist notified of her layoff just two days before her due date and an engineer whose performance score declined due to an injury-related absence. A manager on medical leave also reported being dismissed shortly after starting his leave.
Those involved in the lawsuit are seeking a court injunction to pause the layoffs while the case is ongoing. They also demand reinstatement, compensation for lost wages and benefits, and a third-party audit of Meta’s AI systems. The case raises broader concerns about the role of AI in employment decisions, amid fears that automated systems might inadvertently discriminate against workers taking legally protected leave.
Meta has refuted the allegations, maintaining that its workforce and organizational choices are made by human decision-makers rather than AI systems. The company’s stance highlights the contentious debate over the integration of AI in workplace environments, particularly regarding its potential to introduce biases that could adversely affect certain groups of employees.