Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has introduced a new system that records how employees use their computers. The tool, called the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), will log keystrokes, mouse clicks, and other activity on Meta’s internal apps. The company says this data will be used to train artificial intelligence (AI) models designed to help people complete everyday computer tasks.
While Meta insists the information will only be used for AI development and that safeguards are in place to protect sensitive content, the move has raised concerns among staff. Many employees already feel uneasy after recent job cuts and a hiring freeze, and some see the tracking as another sign of the company’s heavy focus on AI at the expense of workers.
Meta has laid off around 2,000 employees this year and reduced job postings from hundreds to just a handful. Workers fear that the new monitoring system could add pressure in an environment where job security is already uncertain.
The company’s investment in AI is massive. It plans to spend about $140 billion on AI in 2026, which is nearly double last year’s amount. It has also taken a major stake in Scale AI, a data-labelling firm, to strengthen its AI capabilities.
For employees, the issue is not just about technology but about workplace trust and fairness. Tracking every click and keystroke blurs the line between innovation and surveillance, raising questions about how far companies should go in using employee behaviour to build future tools.