Judge won’t block Meta from axing workers who filed AI discrimination lawsuit - New York Post

A federal judge on Thursday denied a request from 26 Meta employees to delay their layoffs while they pursue a lawsuit alleging that Meta's AI-powered tools discriminated against them based on disabilities or medical leave. The layoffs are scheduled to begin July 22. The employees had sought a temporary restraining order to prevent their terminations until the court could hear their discrimination claims.

The lawsuit, filed earlier this year, claims that Meta used AI systems to evaluate employee performance and make termination decisions, and that these systems disproportionately targeted workers who had taken medical leave or had disabilities. The judge ruled that the employees failed to demonstrate irreparable harm that would warrant blocking the layoffs, noting that they could still seek damages if their claims succeed.