Meta employees have expressed dissatisfaction after the company installed software that tracks employees' mouse movements to gather data for AI training amid circulating rumors of a new round of layoffs.
Meta, a big tech company, is facing internal opposition after it was discovered that Meta installed software on company computers to monitor employee behavior, tracking mouse movements, button clicks, and usage patterns primarily to use this data to train AI.
This move has caused significant discontent among employees because they have no option to refuse participation if they continue using company laptops, leading to complaints online and the posting of protest flyers in several U.S. offices.
What has intensified this protest and heightened tensions is that Meta employees are currently undergoing performance evaluations based on AI usage amid ongoing layoffs.
Reports indicate some employees even created a website counting down to potential layoffs, fueled by the belief among staff that layoffs could occur as soon as next week. Employees are concerned that while they are forced to build and train AI, they may ultimately be replaced by the very technology they develop.
A Meta representative explained that data on human computer behavior, such as mouse movements and command inputs, is crucial for developing AI Agents designed to assist humans smoothly in daily tasks.
Meta affirmed that the company has security measures in place to prevent the software from accessing employees' sensitive personal information. Nonetheless, this explanation has not diminished employees' efforts to organize.