Meta is currently entangled in legal proceedings initiated by a group of employees who allege that the company’s use of artificial intelligence systems for selecting staff for layoffs disproportionately impacted those on maternity leave, medical leave, and employees with disabilities. The federal lawsuit, lodged in California, asserts that Meta leaned on AI-powered performance evaluations and productivity metrics rather than managerial assessments to determine which employees would be let go, affecting approximately 8,000 workers earlier this year.
The complaint highlights that the internal AI systems utilized by Meta failed to consider approved leave periods, leading to unfairly low performance scores for those who had taken family or medical leave or who had disability accommodations. Among the plaintiffs is a scientist who was notified of her layoff just two days before she was due to give birth. Additionally, an engineer recovering from an injury contends his performance rating suffered due to his absence, while a manager claims he was dismissed shortly after starting a medical leave.
The plaintiffs are seeking a judicial injunction to stop the layoffs while the legal case is ongoing. They also demand reinstatement, back pay, and benefits compensation, alongside a call for an independent review of Meta’s AI systems. Despite these allegations, Meta has refuted the claims, asserting that decisions regarding workforce and organizational changes are made by humans, not AI systems.
This lawsuit arises amidst heightened scrutiny over AI’s role in workplace decision-making processes, with critics cautioning against the potential for automated systems to introduce bias, particularly toward employees who take legally protected leave. The case underscores the broader concerns about the fairness and transparency of using AI technologies in employment practices.