Meta is installing new tracking software on US-based employees' computers to build AI replacements

Meta is installing invasive new tracking software on all U.S.-based employees’ computers that captures every mouse movement, click, and keystroke.

The surveillance tool, named Model Capability Initiative (MCI), runs on work-related apps and websites and takes occasional screen snapshots for context. All data feeds directly into training artificial intelligence models to build autonomous AI agents capable of performing employee work tasks without human involvement.

Internal memos seen by Reuters explicitly state the purpose: to improve AI in areas where it still struggles to replicate human-computer interaction, such as choosing dropdown menus and using keyboard shortcuts. “This is where all Meta employees can help our models get better simply by doing their daily work,” one memo posted by a staff AI research scientist declared.

The announcement came one day after Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth told employees the company would step up internal data collection for its AI for Work efforts, now rebranded as Agent Transformation Accelerator. Bosworth’s vision is blunt: “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.” He described a “closed loop” in which agents automatically learn from every human intervention.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed the MCI keystroke and mouse data will be used as inputs for this automation push. He insisted the surveillance is not for performance assessments and that safeguards protect “sensitive content,” without detailing exclusions.

The program is part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s aggressive AI-first strategy. Meta is laying off 10 percent of its global workforce starting May 20, with more cuts planned later this year, while shifting engineers into an Applied AI team tasked with building agents that handle the bulk of coding, testing, and shipping products.