"Joyless and demoralizing:" Microsoft workers share damning open letter criticising internal AI mandate

Concerned Microsoft workers have penned an open letter to their peers and company leaders to demand a rethink of what they claim is a "speed-at-all-costs" generative AI policy.

The letter was surfaced by The New York Times after the U.S. tech giant offered voluntary buyouts to over 60,000 employees, representing around 25 percent of its total workforce. 

The offer was tabled with Microsoft making layoffs across its video game division, and has been made available to some Xbox workers.

The group behind the letter claim working at Microsoft has become "joyless and demoralising" due to crushing workloads, the threat of being replaced by AI technology, and business priorities that remain in constant flux.