Meta is confronting a lawsuit that claims its recent 8,000‑employee reduction was guided by artificial‑intelligence tools rather than human managers. The complaint, filed by 26 anonymous plaintiffs in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges the company relied on a suite of internal AI mechanisms—including a system dubbed "Metamate" and employee‑trained "second‑brain" agents—to score, rank, and select staff for termination.
According to the filing, the algorithm evaluated factors such as keystroke activity, usage of Meta’s AI products, and AI‑token consumption. Workers were grouped by their adoption of these tools, with categories like "AI Native," "AI First," and "AI Enabled." The plaintiffs contend that the process disproportionately affected employees with disabilities and those who had taken protected medical or family leave, violating labor protections.
Meta has denied the accusations, stating it does not employ AI to dismiss workers with such conditions. The case could shape future scrutiny of algorithmic decision‑making in corporate downsizing, especially within the tech sector.
