Former and current Meta employees have filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that AI systems were used to select employees for layoffs in a discriminatory manner. According to the complaint, the AI tools allegedly targeted workers with disabilities and those on protected medical, family, or parental leave at higher rates than other employees. One plaintiff was informed of their layoff just two days before giving birth, the lawsuit states. The system reportedly used performance ratings, productivity, work output, and measured AI usage as criteria for selection. The plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary injunction to block the layoffs until the arbitration process concludes.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California, claims that Meta’s internal AI systems were used to generate layoff lists during the May 2026 round of cuts. The complaint alleges that the AI-driven process disproportionately affected employees with disabilities and those on leave, despite no evidence of such bias in the company’s internal processes. The plaintiffs argue that the AI systems used metrics like performance ratings, productivity, and work output to determine which employees would be laid off, potentially leading to unfair outcomes. The lawsuit also highlights that one employee was notified of their layoff just two days before giving birth, raising concerns about the timing and fairness of the decision.
Meta has denied the allegations, stating that all personnel decisions are made by human managers. A company spokesperson said, "Humans make all personnel decisions at Meta. We take all allegations of discrimination seriously and are committed to ensuring our processes are fair and transparent." The lawsuit seeks to halt the layoffs and resolve the matter through arbitration. Source: thedecoder
