Twenty-six former employees of Meta Platforms have filed a lawsuit against the tech company, accusing it of using AI-powered software that disproportionately targeted people with disabilities or ‌who took medical leave in selecting people ​for mass layoffs.

The lawsuit, filed in Oakland, California, federal court late Monday, ⁠said that the company relied on factors ​such as productivity and AI token usage when ⁠it began slashing thousands of jobs earlier this year, disadvantaging people who missed work because of medical conditions.

Meta earlier ‌this year said it planned to ​lay off 10% ‌of its global workforce, or nearly 8,000 people, beginning in ‌May, with more job cuts coming later.

The 26 plaintiffs, who filed the lawsuit anonymously, are accusing ⁠Meta of violating ‌federal and state ⁠laws that ban discrimination or retaliation against workers who ⁠have disabilities, ⁠take medical leave or are pregnant.

The plaintiffs come from six ‌states, including California and New York plus the District of Columbia.

A Meta spokesperson on Tuesday said ‌the claims ​lack merit. "Workforce ‌management and organizational decisions were and are made by people, not AI," the spokesperson ​said.