Meta layoffs: 26 employees sue company over alleged AI bias targeting disabled workers
Twenty-six employees of Meta Platforms have filed a new lawsuit accusing the tech giant of using AI-powered software that disproportionately targets people with disabilities or those taking medical leave when selecting workers for mass layoffs.
The lawsuit, filed late Monday in federal court in Oakland, California, says the company relied on factors such as productivity and AI token usage when laying off thousands of people earlier this year, disadvantaging people who missed work due to medical conditions or to care for family members.
The plaintiffs, who were notified in May that their jobs would be seized starting July 22, are seeking a preliminary ruling from the court preventing Meta from completing the layoffs while they pursue their claims in private arbitration. Workers say Meta’s agreements require employees to arbitrate workplace disputes on an individual basis, but do not apply to claims for temporary relief.
Meta denies AI making workforce decisions
On Tuesday, a Meta spokesperson said the allegations were unfounded.
“Workforce management and organizational decisions were and are made by humans, not artificial intelligence,” the spokesperson said.
The lawsuit appears to be the first against a major US company challenging the alleged use of artificial intelligence in layoffs.
Meta laid off 10% of its global workforce, or about 8,000 people, in May and said it planned more layoffs later this year, Reuters reported. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has since said he doesn’t expect any more companywide layoffs this year.
The changes are part of a wide-ranging overhaul as the company increases its investments in AI and centers AI representatives in both its product offerings and internal working approach.
Workers claim AI tools unfairly penalize medical leave
The 26 plaintiffs, who filed the lawsuit anonymously, accuse Meta of violating federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination or retaliation against workers who are disabled, on medical leave or pregnant. They also claim that Meta failed to test its AI systems for bias, in violation of recently passed California and New York City laws.
The plaintiffs come from six states, including California, New York and the District of Columbia.
According to the complaint, Meta used a number of internal AI-powered systems to score and rank employees on the layoff list. These include “Metamate”, a large language model assistant; an employee-trained “second brain” that monitors employee communications and documents; A productivity score obtained by scanning keystrokes, screen content, emails and browser history, according to the lawsuit.
