Lawsuit Accuses Meta of Using AI Systems to Target Employees on Medical or Parental Leave
Twenty-six Meta employees filed a class-action lawsuit alleging the technology company used artificial intelligence systems to determine who faced layoffs, disproportionately affecting staff on medical or parental leave. The legal action, filed in federal court in Oakland, claims internal AI monitoring and performance rankings wrongly penalized employees taking protected leave. The lawsuit argues that the company’s process failed to account for medical or family accommodations, leading to wrongful selections for job cuts. Meta denied the claims, stating that workforce decisions are made by people, not AI. Furthermore, the complaint references "disparate impact liability," a concept the administration moved to deprioritize, arguing its use undermines meritocracy. Legal experts caution that while AI can streamline decisions, reliance on unchecked automated tools carries significant legal risk if they penalize legally protected absences. Plaintiffs sought to pause the layoffs pending arbitration, citing irreversible harms if the separation proceeds.