Overview

• Matt Turnbull, executive producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, posted and then deleted LinkedIn advice suggesting laid-off Microsoft employees use AI chatbots to cope with the emotional and cognitive challenges of job loss.
• He provided specific prompts for career coaching, resume and LinkedIn rewrites, networking outreach and reframing imposter syndrome.
• The post was preserved and shared by Necrosoft’s Brandon Sheffield, provoking widespread criticism over executive insensitivity.
• The incident highlights the contrast between Microsoft’s four rounds of layoffs affecting about 9,000 workers and its $80 billion commitment to AI infrastructure since January.
• Industry leaders from Anthropic to Nvidia have warned that unchecked AI adoption could displace white-collar roles, prompting calls for retraining programs and fiscal measures to support displaced workers.