Meta is currently embroiled in legal challenges as a significant number of its employees have initiated a lawsuit against the company. The lawsuit alleges that Meta employed artificial intelligence systems to determine which workers would be impacted by layoffs, disproportionately targeting those who were on maternity leave, medical leave, or had disabilities. This legal filing was made in a federal court in California and centers on accusations that AI-driven performance evaluations and activity data were used to decide job cuts, leading to the dismissal of approximately 8,000 employees earlier this year.
The complaint suggests that instead of relying on traditional managerial assessments, Meta utilized internal AI mechanisms to score and rank employees. This system reportedly failed to consider periods of approved leave, resulting in lower performance scores for those on family or medical leave, or those receiving disability accommodations. Among the plaintiffs is a scientist who was notified of her termination just two days prior to giving birth. Another plaintiff, an engineer who was recovering from an injury, has claimed his performance rating suffered due to his absence. Additionally, a manager on medical leave contends that he was laid off shortly after his leave commenced.
The lawsuit requests the court to issue an order halting the layoffs while the case is under consideration. The affected employees are also seeking reinstatement, compensation for lost wages and benefits, and an independent review of Meta’s AI systems. These demands highlight the broader concerns over AI usage in workplace decision-making processes. Critics argue that such automated systems could inadvertently introduce bias against employees who exercise their rights to legally protected leave.
In response to these allegations, Meta has firmly denied that artificial intelligence systems were responsible for workforce and organizational decisions, asserting that such decisions are made by individuals. The legal proceedings against Meta are unfolding at a time when there is increased scrutiny over the role of AI in employment practices, raising questions about fairness and bias in automated decision-making.