A US judge allowed Meta's layoffs of 26 employees to proceed despite claims that AI-driven evaluations unfairly targeted workers on medical or family leave.

Meta faces a federal lawsuit as 26 ex-employees allege AI-based performance metrics led to discriminatory layoffs targeting disabled, pregnant, and medical leave workers.

District Judge William Orrick in Oakland, California, in a written order said he would not stop Meta from carrying out the layoffs beginning July 22 while the merits of the…