US tech giant Meta has been sued in federal court, accused of using AI systems during mass layoffs that disproportionately affected sick or on-leave employees.
The lawsuit was filed by 26 former Meta employees, who were reportedly laid off at the end of July. The plaintiffs allege that the company used AI, keystroke monitoring, and algorithmically processed performance data during the layoff of 8,000 people, following a decision made months earlier.

The filing stressed that the scores required by these digital systems were unattainable for employees on sick leave or with certain restrictions. The layoffs, it alleged, disproportionately affected those on sick, maternity, or parental leave.
Meta, in a statement, said the plaintiffs' claims were unfounded. The company maintained that decisions about its organizational structure were made by humans, not AI.