A Microsoft Xbox producer has drawn criticism by suggesting people who have been laid off in the company’s latest round of cuts use generative artificial intelligence to help deal with the emotional and practical impact of their situation.

Matt Turnbull, executive producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, in a now-deleted LinkedIn post said AI could help people deal with “challenging times”.

“If you’re navigating a layoff or even quietly preparing for one, you’re not alone and you don’t have to go it alone,” he wrote.

‘Strong feelings’

He acknowledged that generative AI tools create “strong feelings in people” but said he would be “remiss” if he didn’t try to offer “the best advice I can under the circumstances”.

“I’ve been experimenting with ways to use LLM Al tools (like ChatGPT or Copilot) to help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss,” Turnbull wrote.

Copilot is Microsoft’s generative AI brand, while ChatGPT developer OpenAI is minority owned by Microsoft.

Turnbull offered a series of AI prompts for career planning, writing a CV, job seeking and “emotional clarity and confidence”.

“These tools can help get you unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity,” he concluded.

“If this helps, feel free to share with others in your network. Stay kind, stay smart, stay connected.”

“You can almost see the thought process, ‘I need to do something to appear empathetic, but I also need to push Microsoft business interests,’” wrote one reader in response to the post, which was captured in a screenshot by tech news site Aftermath.

“Reads almost like what you’d get if you prompted ChatGPT: ‘Write a list of suggestions for recently laid off game studio employees to make it look like I care what happens to them while also subtly driving ChatGPT engagement,’” wrote another reader.

Job cuts

Silicon UK has contacted Microsoft for comment.

Turnbull wrote the post late last week after Microsoft said it would cut about 9,000 employees.

The cuts come at a time when Microsoft is investing heavily in AI infrastructure such as data centres, spending that has been eroding its profit margins.

A previous round of layoffs in May affected about 6,000 staff.

Microsoft has not specified which units will be affected by the most recent cuts, but reports suggest the company’s gaming business will be heavily hit, with two ambitious games being cancelled and at least one studio, The Initiative, being closed entirely.

The gaming division’s revenues rose by 8 percent year-over-year in Microsoft’s most recent quarter.