Meta faces a lawsuit over claims it used AI to target employees for redundancy that took leave
The lawsuit alleges Meta relied on factors including productivity and AI token usage when choosing employees in mass layoffs.
Twenty-six Meta employees have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of using AI-powered software that unfairly targeted workers during a round of mass layoffs.
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The employees claim the technology disproportionately selected people with disabilities or those who had taken medical leave when deciding who would lose their jobs.
According to the complaint, Meta used a number of internal AI-assisted systems to score and rank employees before deciding who would be made redundant.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Oakland, California, on Monday.
It comes after reports that Meta laid off around 10% of its global workforce in May.
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This was thought to be around nearly 8,000 employees, although chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has since said he does not expect any further company-wide layoffs this year.
The lawsuit alleges Meta relied on factors including productivity and AI token usage when selecting employees for redundancy.
The plaintiffs claim this disadvantaged workers who had taken time off because of medical conditions or to care for family members.
The 26 employees bringing the case are from six states, including California and New York, as well as the District of Columbia.
They are seeking a preliminary court order to block the layoffs, which are due to begin on 22 July, while they pursue their claims through private arbitration.
The workers argue that while Meta's employment agreements require workplace disputes to be resolved through individual arbitration, they do not prevent employees from seeking temporary relief through the courts.
Responding to the lawsuit, a Meta spokesperson said: "Workforce management and organizational decisions were and are made by people, not AI."
The company added that the claims "lack merit".
The case is believed to be the first brought against a major US company over the alleged use of AI to help decide which employees should be made redundant.
The lawsuit comes as Meta continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, making AI a bigger part of both its products and its internal operations.