A group of Meta employees has initiated a legal battle, claiming the tech giant utilized artificial intelligence to determine which workers would face layoffs. They argue that this process unfairly targeted individuals on maternity leave, medical leave, and those with disabilities.
The lawsuit, lodged in a California federal court, accuses Meta of employing AI-based performance assessments and activity data to make decisions about job cuts, which impacted approximately 8,000 employees earlier in the year. The plaintiffs contend that the company’s reliance on AI for evaluating and ranking employees overlooked approved leave periods, leading to unfavorable performance scores for those on family or medical leave or with disability accommodations.
Included among the plaintiffs is a scientist who learned she was being let go just two days prior to giving birth. In another case, an engineer recovering from an injury alleges that his performance evaluation suffered due to his absence. Furthermore, a manager who had recently begun medical leave claims he was dismissed shortly thereafter.
The employees are requesting a judicial order to pause the layoffs during the ongoing legal proceedings. They seek reinstatement, compensation for lost wages and benefits, and an independent examination of Meta’s AI systems. In response, Meta has refuted these allegations, asserting that human decision-making, not AI, governs their workforce and organizational choices.
This lawsuit emerges amidst escalating concerns surrounding AI’s role in workplace decisions. Critics caution that automated systems might inadvertently foster biases against employees who exercise their rights to take legally sanctioned leave.