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2026-07-15 09:52:12
【Meta Sued for Using AI to Discriminate in Layoffs; Employees Allege Tool Ignores Leave and Disability】 (1) Current and former Meta employees have filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of using its internal AI system "Constellation" to screen employees for layoffs of 10% in May of this year, and alleging that the method was discriminatory. The plaintiffs claim that the system failed to take into account approved parental leave, sick leave, or disability-related absences during the evaluation, violating multiple federal and state laws. (2) The plaintiffs point out that the AI relies on data such as performance ratings, productivity metrics, and "AI token consumption," which employees on protected leave or with reduced output cannot objectively accumulate, leading to unfair targeting. A Meta spokesperson responded that the allegations were "unfounded" and emphasized that personnel management is always decided by people, not AI. (3) The plaintiffs are requesting an injunction to maintain their positions and an independent audit of the algorithm screening process. Previously, a California federal judge had just issued an unfavorable ruling against Workday in a similar case—the latter was accused of using AI recruitment tools that constituted discrimination. Although Workday denied the allegations and claimed that it only assessed job qualifications, the case still exacerbated public concerns about the impact of AI on employment and disability rights.
