Microsoft is inviting developers to a roundtable to talk about artificial intelligence tools…

Microsoft just laid off 9,000 employees across the company two days ago, though it’s unclear how many of those layoffs affected the Xbox division or the gaming sector specifically. Reports indicate that some of the cuts are directly tied to AI initiatives, with affected employees saying the company is actively working to replace humans with AI as quickly as possible.

One might expect Microsoft to hold back on aggressively promoting AI tools in light of this. Yet Brandon Sheffield, head of Necrosoft Games, shared an email he received from Microsoft and the ID@Xbox program inviting him to an AI-focused roundtable at Gamescom. The session will explain how Microsoft uses AI in development and publishing to “enhance” workflows.

Other developers responded under Sheffield’s post. Benjamin Rivers, a Toronto-based developer, simply said “They can go to hell”, to which Sheffield replied in agreement.

The exact number of gaming-sector layoffs is still unknown. What is certain is that veteran talent with irreplaceable knowledge has been let go — while the executives responsible for these decisions still have jobs. Microsoft is pushing AI tools that may never reach the level of quality or insight that these dismissed developers brought to the table.

Rather than waste experienced game industry talent, investing in people would likely be a more efficient path to quality games than pouring millions into AI systems. Once again, the takeaway is that honest workers are shown the door, while leadership profits by cutting payroll.

Source: WCCFTech, Bsky