Microsoft Developer head to employees: Using … is no longer optional, as company considers another change to its performance review process

Microsoft is now asking managers to evaluate employees based on their use of internal AI tools, with the company considering adding formal metrics to its performance review process as it pushes for greater adoption of artificial intelligence across the organization.

Julia Liuson, president of Microsoft’s Developer Division responsible for tools like GitHub Copilot, recently instructed managers that AI usage “should be part of your holistic reflections on an individual’s performance and impact.” In an internal email, Liuson declared that “using AI is no longer optional — it’s core to every role and every level.”