Judge Refuses to Block Meta AI Discrimination Layoffs

A US District Judge ruled on July 17 that Meta Platforms may proceed with the termination of 26 employees who alleged that the company used artificial intelligence to unfairly target workers for layoffs. The employees filed a lawsuit claiming that Meta employed keystroke scanning and an AI-powered tool called Metamate to rank staff, which they argue penalized those taking medical or maternity leave.

Judge William Orrick denied the request for a temporary restraining order to block the terminations, which are scheduled to begin July 22. Orrick stated that the plaintiffs failed to prove the irreparable harm necessary for such an order, noting that financial losses and the loss of health insurance subsidies could be addressed through private arbitration.

Meta has denied the allegations, maintaining that human managers, not algorithms, made the layoff decisions. While the current ruling favors the company, the judge indicated he may reconsider the decision if the plaintiffs provide additional evidence demonstrating how AI influenced the workforce reduction.