As the tech world grapples with the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), a new lawsuit has sparked intense debate. Dozens of former Meta employees are suing the social media giant, alleging that its AI-driven layoff process unfairly targeted workers who had taken protected leave – such as maternity or disability leave.
The action involves 26 named plaintiffs and follows Meta's significant workforce reduction of around 8,000 employees earlier this year. The complaint, spanning 71 pages, claims that instead of relying on manager discretion, the company used a "constellation of internal artificial intelligence systems" to compile its termination lists – including AI performance ratings, data from keystroke and activity monitoring, and other metrics.
It's alleged that these AI tools gathered data on employees' performance rankings, productivity, and other factors. However, when it came to staff on medical or family leave, the inputs were either non-existent or reduced. This led to a disturbing outcome: workers who took protected leaves were disproportionately selected for layoff – their legal rights essentially penalised by the AI systems.
Personal stories from the plaintiffs highlight the human impact of these alleged actions. One scientist was laid off just two days before giving birth, while on approved pre-birth pregnancy leave. Another engineer saw his rating lowered due to time taken off for an injury. A manager on medical leave was dismissed 16 days into his time off.
The plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary court ruling to prevent Meta from finalising the layoffs, alongside other relief including potential reinstatement, back pay, lost equity, and benefits. But Meta has strongly refuted the allegations, saying "These claims lack merit and are not based on facts." This case shines a light on growing concerns around AI decision-making in the workplace – specifically issues of bias, privacy, and trust – as regulators globally begin to scrutinise the legality and ethics of such tools.