Xbox Game Studios exec gives ‘AI prompts’ to laid-off Microsoft employees to handle emotional stress caused by job loss; deletes post after backlash

Xbox Game Studios Executive Producer Matt Turnbull has recommended that recently laid-off Microsoft employees use AI chatbots to cope with job loss, offering specific prompts to help workers navigate unemployment. Turnbull’s since-deleted LinkedIn post suggested using tools like ChatGPT and Copilot to “help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss.”

Turnbull’s recommendation comes as Microsoft cuts 9,100 employees across the company, with Xbox divisions particularly affected by studio closures and game cancellations. “These are really challenging times, and 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,” Turnbull wrote in his original post.