Meta Accused of Using AI to Target Workers on Medical Leave for Layoffs

A group of 26 former Meta employees has filed a lawsuit claiming the company relied on biased artificial intelligence systems to decide who got cut during its recent layoffs. The suit, reported by Reuters, alleges that Meta used a suite of AI tools that unfairly singled out workers who had taken medical or family leave. The layoffs in question took place in May, when Meta reduced its workforce by 10 percent, eliminating roughly 8,000 jobs as part of a broader cost-cutting push tied to its investments in AI and data centers.

According to the complaint, Meta deployed what it calls “a constellation of artificial intelligence systems” to evaluate and rank employees. These included an internal assistant named Metamate, employee-created “second brain” agents, dashboards tracking AI token usage, and keystroke and activity monitoring. The alleged goal was to score workers on performance and productivity—but also on how “AI-native” they were and how many AI tokens they used. The problem, the plaintiffs argue, is that the system did not account for employees on leave or those with disabilities, who could not generate the same level of AI engagement. Meta has denied the claims, telling Reuters that “workforce management and organizational decisions were and are made by people, not AI.”

The lawsuit points out that each plaintiff had taken, requested, or been approved for statutorily protected leave—such as under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act—within two years of being laid off. Those laws explicitly bar employers from considering protected leave in layoff decisions. The former employees are asking a court to halt Meta’s layoffs until an independent audit of the AI-assisted selection process can be completed. Due to Meta’s employment contracts, the case will likely move to arbitration. The suit follows a 2026 report that Meta had been recording employee keystrokes and mouse movements for AI training, a program it paused after privacy concerns emerged.