Meta faces lawsuit for using biased AI in layoffs
What's the story
A group of 26 former Meta employees has filed a lawsuit against the tech giant, accusing it of using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to unfairly target workers on leave for layoffs. The plaintiffs allege that Meta relied on performance data from a "constellation" of internal AI tools to determine which employees should be laid off. However, they claim the company did not exclude those on parental or medical leave from its ranking system.
Discrimination claims
AI tools disproportionately targeted employees on protected leaves
The lawsuit alleges that the AI tools used by Meta disproportionately targeted employees who took protected leaves.
It claims these systems not only ignored their absence but also penalized them for exercising their legal rights to such leaves.
The layoffs in question were part of Meta's plan to cut 10% of its workforce, or around 8,000 jobs, in May.
Layoff process
Metamate and employee-trained AI agents used in layoffs
The plaintiffs allege that Meta employed its internal AI assistant, Metamate, along with employee-trained AI agents and dashboards showing AI token usage to "score, rank, and select employees for inclusion on the termination list."
The lawsuit accuses Meta of violating federal and state laws that prevent employers from firing workers for taking protected leave.
Company response
Meta denies allegations, claims workforce management decisions were human-led
In response to the lawsuit, Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton said, "These claims lack merit and are not based on facts."
She emphasized that workforce management and organizational decisions were made by humans, not AI.
The company had previously been sued by a former employee who claimed that older workers were disproportionately targeted in a February 2025 layoff round.