Meta has ended its internal tokenmaxxing incentive program, which previously linked employee performance evaluations to AI tool usage. According to three employees who received the message, the company is no longer grading workers based on how much they used AI tools. However, as Meta workers begin testing a new agentic AI tool called Hatch, they say their token consumption continues to rise. The shift comes as the company updates its performance review guidelines to focus more on impact than AI usage.
Almost a year ago, Meta said it would evaluate employees based on their 'AI-driven impact,' which in practice meant assessing how much they used chatbots and agents to improve their work. A lawsuit filed in July by about two dozen employees argued that Meta violated US antidiscrimination laws when it laid them off in May. The lawsuit claims workers on health and family leaves couldn’t accumulate usage and were unfairly penalized. Meta has denied the allegations in the ongoing case.
The new guidance for performance reviews replaces references to evaluating employees based on criteria like 'usage of AI' and their 'AI Native' designation with looser wording that cautions these outcomes can be supported by AI or other means. The company has restored its focus to grading employees on their impact, with less regard to how it is achieved. Some Meta employees say the changes are subtle but welcome, freeing them from feeling pressured to use AI in situations where it doesn’t make sense.
Source: wired
