Meta will monitor employees' mouse and keyboard activity to train AI agents that automate workplace tasks

Meta announced it will deploy employee-tracking software to record mouse clicks, keyboard inputs, and screen activity, using this data to teach AI agents (autonomous software that performs tasks without human direction) how workers actually complete their jobs. The company plans to use this behavioral data to build AI systems that can eventually replicate those workflows.

Unlike previous AI training methods that rely on written instructions or video demonstrations, Meta's approach captures the granular, moment-to-moment decisions employees make while working—which buttons they click, when they pause, how they navigate systems—allowing the AI agents to learn from real human behavior rather than abstract descriptions of tasks.

For employees, this means Meta will have detailed records of their daily computer activity; for the company, it aims to accelerate AI agents that could automate routine office work like email sorting, form filling, or data entry. However, the practice raises privacy concerns, as continuous keystroke and mouse tracking is more invasive than typical workplace monitoring and creates questions about what data Meta retains and how it's used beyond AI training.