Meta faces lawsuit over AI-driven layoff allegations
Former Meta employees are suing the company, alleging that AI systems used to track performance and layoff eligibility unfairly targeted staff members on protected leave.
Meta is facing a lawsuit filed by 26 former employees who claim the company utilized AI-enabled systems to identify staff for layoffs. The plaintiffs allege that these algorithms failed to account for protected leave, such as medical or parental leave, resulting in a disproportionate impact on employees who required accommodations.
According to the complaint, internal dashboards used to monitor productivity and AI adoption treated absences as a lack of engagement rather than authorized leave. Meta has categorically denied the allegations, with human resources leadership stating that all termination decisions were handled by humans and that AI played no role in the selection process.
This legal challenge highlights rising concerns regarding corporate data collection and the automation of workforce decisions. While employers frequently use data analytics to monitor performance, experts argue that the integration of AI into termination processes risks perpetuating bias and lack of accountability as transparency remains limited.