Meta has begun installing specialized tracking software on the computers of its US-based employees to record exactly how they interact with their screens.
The project, known internally as the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), tracks mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes and periodically takes snapshots of employees’ screens, according to internal memos first reported by Reuters.
The goal isn’t just to watch; it’s to learn. Meta’s current AI models are great at generating text, but they often stumble when asked to navigate a computer like a human, failing to click through dropdown menus or use complex keyboard shortcuts.
According to a memo from a staff research scientist at Meta SuperIntelligence Labs, “This is where all Meta employees can help our models get better simply by doing their daily work,” as cited by Reuters.
How Meta wants employees to train its AI
This initiative is what Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth calls the “Agent Transformation Accelerator (ATA).” The company wants to build AI agents that not only answer questions but also perform professional tasks autonomously.
“The vision we are building towards is one where our agents primarily do the work and our role is to direct, review and help them improve,” Bosworth explained, according to Reuters.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone clarified to Reuters that these real-world examples are essential for progress. “If we’re building agents to help people complete everyday tasks using computers, our models need real examples of how people actually use them — things like mouse movements, clicking buttons, and navigating dropdown menus,” said Stone.
Stone also noted that safeguards are in place to protect sensitive information and insisted that this data would not be used to judge employee performance. Meta is currently navigating a major shift in its workforce, preparing for a 10% to 20% staff reduction starting in May 2026.
The company is also moving away from traditional job descriptions, encouraging staff to adopt the title of “AI Builder.” While tech companies like Amazon and Block have also seen significant white-collar layoffs recently, Meta’s strategy appears uniquely focused on using its remaining humans to teach their eventual AI assistants.
The surveillance question
While the US has few federal limits on workplace monitoring, the move has raised eyebrows among legal experts. Ifeoma Ajunwa, a law professor at Yale University, told Reuters that this level of logging subjects office workers to the kind of real-time surveillance usually reserved for delivery drivers or gig workers.
Across the Atlantic, the story is different. Europe’s strict GDPR privacy rules would likely block such intrusive monitoring. In countries like Italy and Germany, using electronic tracking to monitor employee activity is either explicitly illegal or restricted to extreme criminal cases.
Beyond legal questions, critics argue that increased surveillance could shift workplace dynamics, giving employers greater visibility and control over how employees perform their tasks.
Also read: Meta’s push to build AI-first workflows is also reshaping how the company measures employee performance.