More than two dozen former employees of Facebook parent company Meta are suing the tech giant, alleging that AI tools were used to unfairly target workers on leave for mass layoffs.

The lawsuit claims that an internal system called Metamate and other AI tools were used to rank employee performance without excluding those on parental or medical leave. This led to a disproportionate number of these employees being selected for termination during Meta’s 10% staff cuts in May, which affected around 8,000 workers.

“The claims are unfounded and do not reflect the reality of how workforce decisions were made,” says Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton. However, critics argue that reliance on AI without proper safeguards can lead to discriminatory practices.

The case highlights concerns about bias in automated decision-making processes and challenges for workers navigating complex corporate policies.