Meta used artificial intelligence systems to select 8,000 employees for layoffs, disproportionately targeting workers with disabilities and those on protected medical or family leave, according to a lawsuit filed by 26 terminated employees.

The complaint, filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges Meta deployed "a constellation of internal artificial-intelligence systems" including a tool called "Metamate" to score and rank employees for termination.

Employees were graded partly on their adoption of Meta's AI tools, with internal dashboards classifying workers as "AI Native," "AI First," or "AI Enabled," the lawsuit claims.

AI systems penalized protected leave

The scoring systems allegedly failed to account for employees on medical or family leave, effectively penalizing workers for exercising legal rights. Inputs included performance ratings, productivity metrics, and AI-token consumption that "cannot be accumulated by an employee who is on protected medical or family leave," according to the complaint.

One scientist was selected for layoffs "the day before her water broke," while others were terminated during maternity leave or while working under approved disability accommodations.

Meta disputes the claims. "These claims lack merit and are not based on facts. Workforce management and organizational decisions were and are made by people, not AI," the company said.

Record spending amid cuts

The May 2026 layoffs affected 10% of Meta's workforce despite the company reporting record revenue and committing to spend $125-145 billion on AI in 2026—more than double its 2025 expenditure.

The lawsuit represents the first major challenge to alleged AI-driven layoffs at a US tech company, according to Reuters. Plaintiffs allege violations of federal disability, pregnancy, and family leave laws, plus various state protections.

The 26 employees seek a preliminary injunction to preserve their jobs pending an independent audit of Meta's selection process. They want the audit to recompute scores using "leave- and accommodation-neutralized inputs" and identify workers whose termination cannot be justified on neutral grounds.

Layoffs are scheduled to begin July 22. The case proceeds through individual arbitration rather than class action due to Meta's employment agreements.