Meta to Track Employee Activity for AI Training Amid Workforce Shift

Meta is set to introduce a new internal tracking system that will monitor employee activity, including mouse movements, clicks and keystrokes, as part of its efforts to strengthen artificial intelligence capabilities.

According to internal communications, the initiative known as the Model Capability Initiative (MCI) will operate across work-related applications and may also capture periodic screenshots of employees’ screens. The collected data will be used to train AI systems to better understand how humans interact with computers, particularly in tasks such as navigating menus and using shortcuts.

The move is part of a broader strategy to integrate AI more deeply into daily workflows. Company executives have indicated that future systems could rely heavily on AI agents capable of performing routine work tasks, with employees taking on more supervisory roles.

Meta has stated that the data gathered through the system will not be used for performance evaluations and that safeguards are in place to protect sensitive information. However, the company has not provided detailed clarification on what types of data will be excluded.

The initiative comes alongside plans to restructure the workforce, with reports indicating that Meta is preparing to reduce its global staff by around 10 percent in the coming months.

Experts have raised concerns about employee privacy, warning that increased workplace surveillance could lead to ethical and legal challenges. Despite these concerns, the company maintains that real-world user interaction data is essential for building more advanced and efficient AI systems.

The development reflects a wider trend across the technology sector, where companies are rapidly investing in AI to automate operations and improve productivity.