A lawsuit filed by 26 employees alleges that Meta’s recent layoff of 8,000 workers was driven by artificial intelligence rather than human oversight. The complaint, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, claims that the social media giant used a suite of internal AI tools to score and select employees for termination, specifically targeting those with disabilities or those on protected family and medical leaves.
The 'Metamate' and Algorithmic Ranking
According to the lawsuit, Meta utilized a "constellation" of AI systems, including an internal tool called "Metamate," employee-trained agents, and dashboards that monitored keystrokes and AI-token usage. Employees were allegedly categorized by their adoption of AI tools with labels such as "AI Native," "AI First," and "AI Enabled."
The plaintiffs argue that these metrics are inherently biased against those on leave. Productivity data and token consumption cannot be accumulated by workers who are away for medical or family reasons, meaning the algorithmic process effectively penalized employees for exercising their legal rights to protected leave.
Meta’s Defense and Financial Context
Meta has denied the allegations, stating that workforce management decisions are made by people, not AI. "These claims lack merit and are not based on facts," the company said in a statement. However, the lawsuit highlights a stark contrast: while Meta is cutting approximately 10 percent of its staff to run more efficiently, it has committed to spending between $125 billion and $145 billion on AI in 2026—more than double its 2025 expenditure.
The 26 plaintiffs, who include a scientist selected for layoff the day before giving birth, are seeking a preliminary injunction to preserve their jobs and an independent audit of the selection process to identify and neutralize biased inputs.
