Xbox Executive's AI Advice to Laid-Off Workers Sparks Controversy

Laid-off workers should use AI to manage their emotions, says Xbox exec

Jess Weatherbed is a news writer focused on creative industries, computing, and internet culture. Jess started her career at TechRadar, covering news and hardware reviews. The sweeping layoffs announced by Microsoft this week have been especially hard on its gaming studios, but one Xbox executive has a solution to "help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss": seek advice from AI chatbots. In a now-deleted LinkedIn post captured by Aftermath, Xbox Game Studios' Matt Turnbull said that he would be "remiss in not trying to offer the best advice I can under the circumstances." The circumstances here being a slew of game cancellations, services being shuttered, studio closures, and job cuts across key Xbox divisions as Microsoft lays off as many as 9,100 employees across the company. Turnbull acknowledged that people have some "strong feelings" about AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot, but suggested that anybody who's feeling "overwhelmed" could use them to get advice about creating resumes, career planning, and applying for new roles. "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 said. "No Al tool is a replacement for your voice or your lived experience. But at a time when mental energy is scarce, these tools can help get you unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity." Microsoft has loudly embraced AI, having announced plans in January to invest $80 billion into AI infrastructure prior to this latest wave of job cuts. That environment might have made Turnbull think his recommendations were reasonable. More broadly, however, generative AI is viewed by some creatives as a threat to creative industries like gaming, which has already struggled with growing layoffs and studio closures over the last few years. It's unclear why Turnbull deleted his LinkedIn post, but if the comments on this repost made to Bluesky are any indication, creatives probably didn't take too kindly to his suggestions. You can read the full text of the deleted post below: "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. I know these types of tools engender strong feelings in people, but I'd be remiss in not trying 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. Here are some prompt ideas and use cases that might help if you're feeling overwhelmed: Career Planning Prompts: "Act as a career coach. I've been laid off from a [role] in the game industry. Help me build a 30-day plan to regroup, research new roles, and start applying without burning out." "What kinds of game industry jobs could I pivot to with experience in [Production/Narrative/LiveOps/etc.]?" Resume & Linkedin Help "Here's my current resume. Give me three tailored versions: one for AAA, one for platform/publishing roles, and one for startup/small studio leadership." "Rewrite this resume bullet to highlight impact and metrics." "Draft a new LinkedIn 'About Me' section that focuses on my leadership style, shipped titles, and vision for game development." Networking & Outreach "Draft a friendly message I can send to old coworkers letting them know I'm exploring new opportunities." "Write a warm intro message for reaching out to someone at [studio name] about a job posting." Emotional Clarity & Confidence "I'm struggling with imposter syndrome after being laid off. Can you help me reframe this experience in a way that reminds me what I'm good at?" No Al tool is a replacement for your voice or your lived experience. But at a time when mental energy is scarce, these tools can help get you unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity. If this helps, feel free to share with others in your network. Stay kind, stay smart, stay connected."

How AI can help you navigate layoffs, according to one executive producer at Xbox

Can an LLM "help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss?" It's been a rough week at Microsoft. Following the news that at the company, one Xbox executive offered some questionable words of advice for people on their way out: Find solace in Microsoft Copilot. , Matt Turnbull, an executive producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing who clearly did not lose his job recently, took to LinkedIn to let folks know, "You're not alone and you don't have to go it alone." In the same breath as acknowledging that AI evokes "strong feelings in people," Turnbull suggested that LLMs like ChatGPT and Copilot could "help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss." Turnbull went on to provide specific AI prompts that he recommended for recently laid-off people, including, "Write a warm intro message for reaching out to someone at [studio name] about a job posting." He explained how an LLM could aid overwhelmed developers in planning their careers and punching up their resumés, and also help with "emotional clarity and confidence." The post was circulated by Necrosoft Games director and host Brandon Sheffield, where it received a predictably negative reaction. According to Video Games Chronicle, LinkedIn users were similarly unimpressed. Turnbull deleted the post a few hours later. Here's the full text from the LinkedIn post: Turnbull's post, however earnest, comes at a time when Microsoft is seemingly all-in on both AI and layoffs. The 9,000 job losses this week add to over . Microsoft President Brad Smith began 2025 by committing to spend around $80 billion on AI infrastructure through the year, and CEO Satya Nadella recently shared that is now authored by AI. Just last week, Business Insider reported on another executive telling employees that using Copilot is "" in an internal memo. One developer at Halo Studios, which was affected by the layoffs, told Engadget's Jessica Conditt that they felt Xbox leadership was looking to "replace as many jobs as they can with AI agents."

Xbox exec suggests people use AI to lessen the pain of being laid off

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. Facepalm: Never underestimate an executive's ability to say something that shows a breathtaking lack of awareness. Take a look at Matt Turnbull, Executive Producer at Xbox Games Studio Publishing, for example, who suggested that anyone who has been laid off should reduce "the emotional and cognitive load" that comes with such an awful event by using AI tools. It's an especially jarring comment considering the number of people who are losing their jobs at Microsoft as the company pours billions into AI. Turnbull has very wisely removed his post, but it was captured by Necrosoft's Brandon Sheffield. The exec started by mentioning these are challenging times - particularly for the 9,000 Microsoft workers who have recent been laid off in the company's fourth round of layoffs in 18 months. Matt Turnbull, Executive Producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing - after the Microsoft layoffs - suggesting on Linkedin that may maybe people who have been let go should turn to AI for help. He seriously thought posting this would be a good idea. [image or embed] - Brandon Sheffield ( @brandon.insertcredit.com) July 4, 2025 at 4:48 AM Turnbull said he has been experimenting with ways to use LLM AI tools, including Microsoft's own Copilot, to help reduce "the emotional and cognitive load" that comes with job loss. Turnbull also notes that the newly unemployed are "not alone," though he, of course, was not among those laid off. Turnbull helpfully included a series of prompt ideas that he believes might help someone who has just lost their livelihood and is feeling "overwhelmed." These included asking an AI to help with career planning, resume and LinkedIn drafts, and networking. The most impressive prompt suggestion was one for "Emotional Clarity and Confidence," which read, "I'm struggling with impostor syndrome after being laid off. Can you help me reframe this experience in a way that reminds me what I'm good at?" Turnbull then informed laid-off people that these AI tools can help them "get unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity." He also suggests sharing his message with others, somehow managing not to include the popular "no need to thank me" line. In addition to laying off thousands of people, Turnbull's employer is spending an estimated $80 billion on AI infrastructure over the next financial year, so don't be surprised to see more people replaced as agentic agents take over. Despite what were obviously good intentions, Turnbull's post is so tone-deaf - even by LinkedIn standards - that one might think an AI wrote it. At least he had the sense to delete it. Several company CEOs have started admitting that the increased use of AI in businesses will lead to job cuts. Amazon's Andy Jassy said it will replace some corporate workers at the firm, while Ford CEO Jim Farley and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have said the technology could decimate white-collar jobs. Leaders at Shopify, JPMorgan Chase, Fiverr, Moderna, and other big companies are now saying the same thing. Despite all this investment, AI often isn't the magical, money-saving tool many execs believe it is. We recently heard that call center workers were finding that their AI assistants created more problems than they solve.

Xbox exec suffers bout of terminal LinkedIn brain, suggests folks laid off by Microsoft use AI to 'reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss'

History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes -- every so often, in times of deep economic equality, someone with a thick paycheck or accumulated wealth will waltz up and say something so mind-bogglingly disconnected from good sense and empathy that it becomes enshrined as an example of what not to say. The latest entrant to the "Let them eat cake" hall of fame comes courtesy of Matt Turnbull, Executive Producer at Xbox Games Studio Publishing who, in a since-deleted LinkedIn post (shared here by Necrosoft's Brandon Sheffield), suggested that anyone facing anxiety about their livelihoods crumbling under them use AI to help. Matt Turnbull, Executive Producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing - after the Microsoft layoffs - suggesting on Linkedin that may maybe people who have been let go should turn to AI for help. He seriously thought posting this would be a good idea. -- @brandon.insertcredit.com ( @brandon.insertcredit.com.bsky.social) 2025-07-04T10:49:40.295Z He writes: "These are really challenging times, and if you're navigating a layoff or just preparing for one" -- like the layoffs your company literally just pushed forward, Turnbull? -- "You're not alone and you don't have to go it alone." In a textbook use of passive voice, he then goes on to suggest people "use LLM AI tools (like ChatGPT or Copilot) to help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss", talking about layoffs as though it's an inevitable medical condition. He follows this up with a series of 'helpful' prompts for folks struggling after being laid off in random, often capricious ways. These include everything from asking a LLM to rewrite your resume, to networking and outreach, to emotional support. Turnbull suggests anyone feeling down in the dumps prompt a language model with the following: "I'm struggling with impostor syndrome after being laid off. Can you help me reframe this in a way that reminds me what I'm good at?" Yikes. Here is where I'd usually point out that telling the recently-jobless they're "not alone", then encouraging them to use an unthinking, unfeeling machine to output general positive platitudes is incredibly ghoulish. Unfortunately, I've hit my monthly limit for nonsense four days into July, so I'm going to go scream into a pillow for a couple of minutes. Phew, all better. Alright, let's attempt a charitable read. It's entirely possible that Turnbull's had his head in the sand, does genuinely feel for those facing job insecurity, and simply got it wrong. He at least had enough self-awareness to delete his post. Points for basic self-improvement. On the other hand, given Microsoft's been pushing AI like it's the second coming of techno-Christ, and that the industry at-large has been struggling with haphazardly-applied AI tech booting people out of their positions and work to make the line go up (ever up, the line must never stop going), Turnbull might've self-reflected a little harder before he posted this rot. Anyway, given how quickly the pipeline goes from proselytizing about AI to finding out AI can't actually do the thing that's promised (around 4 months, for Netflix's former VP for GenAI games), I can't wait for this new, dark dimension of LinkedIn culture to peter out. If Turnbull's sudden 180 is any indication, we won't be waiting long. Probably. Hopefully. Please?

Xbox executive producer offers "best advice I can" to those caught up in Microsoft's latest lay-off spree - AI prompts to "help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss"

Earlier this week, a massive new wave of Microsoft layoffs - which impacted many employees across the company's gaming division and led to a number of cancelled games - was announced. It's grim news across the board, especially for anyone directly affected, but one executive producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing suggests that those struggling should turn to AI for emotional support and career advice. In a LinkedIn post first flagged by game dev Brandon Sheffield on Bluesky (also shared by Aftermath), executive producer Matt Turnbull acknowledges that "these are really challenging times," and wants to "offer the best advice I can under the circumstances." He then explains that "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 goes on to share a number of "prompt ideas and use cases that might help if you're feeling overwhelmed," from asking AI to "act as a career coach," to suggesting new jobs individuals could pivot to, and rewriting parts of resumes and drafting fresh LinkedIn "about me" sections. One suggestion even includes drafting "a friendly message" to send to former co-workers "letting them know I'm exploring new opportunities," and writing "a warm intro message" to send to pursue job listings. The section that perhaps stands out the most, however, is the section on "emotional clarity and confidence." Turnbull suggests turning to an emotionless AI program and saying something along the lines of "I'm struggling with imposter syndrome after being laid off. Can you help me reframe this experience in a way that reminds me what I'm good at?" We can no longer see what the responses to this on LinkedIn were like, because the post has now been deleted. However, on Bluesky, many are having the reaction you'd expect: "Yikes." Another user says: "It's like a total disconnection from reality. I'm sure he thinks he's helping those people laid off, but what the heck." Turnbull had noted that "these types of tools engender strong feelings in people," which is a bit of an understatement. Amid rising concerns about jobs being replaced by AI (not to mention the surrounding issues, such as environmental impact and what the growing use of generative AI might mean for human creativity), its use is controversial at the best of times. But right on the back of a huge number of people actually losing their jobs? You can understand why so many people are angry.