- An Xbox Director suggested that dismissed employees use AI for emotional support and career guidance
- The proposal triggered backlash and led to the executive exercise of their LinkedIn -post
- Microsoft has dismissed 9,000 employees in recent months while investing a lot in AI.
Microsoft has hyped up its AI ambitions for the past several years, but a director’s pitch of AI’s power to former employees who were recently released, has landed with an awkward Thud.
In the midst of the largest permeague round of over two years, approx. 9,000 people, Matt Turnbull, performing producer in Xbox Game Studios Publishing, that AI Chatbots could help those who affected, process their grief, crafts resume and rebuild their confidence.
Gestus was intended for support, but it left many game developers who felt furious.
Turnbull took his possibly well -meaning but definitely poorly formulated and timed message to LinkedIn. He shared ideas for requests to give an AI-Chatbot that he claimed could help dismiss colleagues to navigate career uncertainty and emotional turbulence.
The setback was quick and angry and led him to delete the post, but you can still read it thanks to Brandon Sheffield’s Bluesky Post below.
Matt Turnbull, executive manufacturer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing – after Microsoft discharges – which suggests LinkedIn that may have been released, he should go to AI for help. He seriously thought it would be a good idea to send that this would be a good idea.
– @brandon.insertcredit.com ( @brandon.insertcredit.com.bsky.social) 2025-07-07T07: 54: 06.534Z
Turnbull urged colleagues to lean on AI to reduce the “emotional and cognitive strain” of job loss in his posts along with the quick ideas for 30-day recovery plans and LinkedIn messages. Probably the most eyebrow-gathering proposal that suggested a prompt to help restore impostor syndrome after being dismissed.
“No AI tool is a replacement for your voice or lived experience,” Turnbull wrote. “But in times when mental energy is scarce, these tools can help you get faster, quieter and with more clarity.”
Even the most charitable interpretation of his post cannot overlook how condescending and poorly timed the advice is. And angry game developers flooded the comments, which probably led to the deletion of the post.
To put it mildly, they do not agree that being dismissed is an emotional puzzle that is best solved with an algorithm. Instead, a human being may understand the career and life of life it represents and how it requires human compassion, support network and tangible help, such as An introduction to someone who can help you get a new job.
AI therapy
This incident is even worse in the context of Microsoft expenses for billions that build AI infrastructure while dramatically shrinking its gaming teams. It is more than hypocritical; It tells people to use the very technology that may have caused their job loss.
Being careful and overly fair to turnbulls can use AI help with some mental health problems and can be useful for improving a resume or preparing for a job interview. Making AI a part of Outplacement services is not a terrible idea. It can increase the internal coaching and career transition arm Microsoft already offers, which adds recruiters, resume workshops and advice it offers. But it cannot and should not replace these human services. And that is the opposite of supporting to have one of the people who lets you tell you to use AI to find a new job. It’s just an insult on top of the damage.
Microsoft’s double approach to dismissing people and doubling AI infrastructure is a test of its corporate culture as much as its technical ability. Will we see a new standard where redundancies come with AI prompt packages instead of advice and resignation? If the message is: “Feel free to use chatbots to help you when we fire you,” expect much more scandalous, tone deaf from leaders.
Maybe they should ask these chatbots how to interact with people without twisting them, as it is a lesson they have not learned well.
