Meta sued for using AI to target sick, disabled workers for layoffs

Mark Zuckerberg-owned Meta has landed in legal troubles after laying off around 8,000 workers this year, starting in May, allegedly targeting the ones with medical conditions.

According to a lawsuit filed by 26 former employees of the social media app-making giant on Monday, the company used artificial intelligence (AI) to unfairly target sick and disabled workers.

The lawsuit claims that Facebook's parent company used AI-powered software to help pick people for mass layoffs and that software leaned on things like productivity scores and how much employees used Meta's own AI tools. 

It alleges that the unfair layoffs targeted people who missed work due to medical reasons or some situation with their family.

The former Meta employees argue that the California-based technology giant broke both state and federal laws which protect workers with disabilities, workers on medical leave, and pregnant employees from being targeted or punished.

The workers were told back in May that their jobs would be cut. Their last day is set for July 22. Because of that deadline, they're now asking a judge to temporarily block Meta from actually letting them go while the case moves forward.

Here's the twist. Meta's employment contracts require workers to settle disputes through private arbitration instead of open court, one at a time. 

But the plaintiffs say those contracts don't cover emergency requests, like asking a court to pause the layoffs. That's the loophole they're using to bring this case to a judge first.

Meta has not yet responded publicly to the lawsuit.