Meta faces lawsuit for using biased AI in layoffs

Meta faces lawsuit for using biased AI in layoffs

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.

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.