Artificial intelligence is increasingly being integrated into workplaces across numerous industries. At Meta, this technology is reportedly used to determine which employees are laid off.
Following a recent organizational restructuring, 26 former Meta employees sought a court order to halt their dismissals. They alleged that Meta employed AI in a manner that targeted individuals with disabilities or those who had taken medical leave. A federal judge ultimately denied this request.
Dr. Mark Nasila, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at First National Bank Risk, highlighted the case of one of the 26 former Meta employees. He stated that this individual was on maternity leave and received notification of her termination just two days before she was due to give birth.
“Imagine waking up to find out that you’ve been laid off, not because your performance had issues, but because an algorithm decided that your maternity leave or your disability was a productivity gap,” he remarked.
He added, “Sure, this is not an AI or technology story. It’s actually a human rights story.”
“It’s about whether we are going to let machines override the laws that protect our families and health in the workplace. And in my view, it’s a case of human accountability going missing.”
