Microsoft’s recent layoffs have primarily impacted software engineers, coinciding with the company’s aggressive push into AI-driven coding. A CNBC report indicates that the tech giant has announced cuts affecting around 6,000 employees worldwide. However, internal data shows a troubling trend: over 40 percent of the layoffs in Washington state specifically targeted software engineers, according to a Bloomberg analysis. Even more concerning? Some of these engineers were reportedly advised months prior to increase their use of AI tools, only to later find themselves unemployed as the very technology they helped implement took over their positions. A report from The Information reveals that Jeff Hulse, a Microsoft VP managing 400 engineers, instructed his team to utilize Open AI-powered chatbots to produce up to 50 percent of their code — a significant increase from the typical 20-30 percent AI contribution. Just weeks later, his team was among those who were laid off during the restructuring. This timing raises unsettling questions: were these engineers unknowingly training their own replacements? Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has openly discussed AI, stating that it writes nearly a third of the company’s code in certain projects, presenting it as a breakthrough in productivity. Yet for the engineers who suddenly found themselves jobless, it serves as a stark reminder of corporate priorities. The layoffs were not confined to junior coders. Employees in product management and technical program management positions, as well as those involved in AI projects, also found themselves affected. Gabriela de Queiroz, Microsoft’s Director of AI for Start ups, publicly acknowledged her termination, describing it as “bittersweet” and expressing sorrow for colleagues who “cared deeply, went above and beyond, and truly made a difference.” Meanwhile, state filings indicate that customer-facing roles such as sales and marketing were largely unaffected. Microsoft claims that the restructuring aims to eliminate management layers, but the statistics suggest a different narrative. Only 17 percent of the layoffs in Washington involved managers, which raises further questions about the true nature of these cuts.
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