Microsoft’s AI future has fewer jobs

Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to roughly 60,000 employees across the US, UK, Canada, and India, the first time it has made such an offer at this scale. The move is part of an effort to lower operating costs and headcount while maintaining investment in AI infrastructure, reflecting CEO Satya Nadella’s stated expectation that Microsoft will have fewer people but higher per-head costs and more AI resources per researcher. Microsoft’s overall headcount has declined year over year for the first time in a decade, now around 223,000, following repeated layoffs and executive departures. The buyout terms are similar to regular severance, and eligible employees have until December to decide. The article also covers other Microsoft news: the departure of Forza Motorsport lead Dan Greenawalt after nearly 27 years; the reported title The Elder Scrolls VI: Sentinel and Hammerfell setting; the sudden exit of Xbox COO Helen Chiang; a Surface Laptop Ultra firmware update; former GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke launching an AI agent platform called Entire; Windows 11 speed test and trackpad features; an AI diagnostic tool claimed to outperform doctors; a fixed Microsoft Authenticator flaw; Denmark ending its open-source Office trial; Gears of War: E-Day’s reported $500 million cost; a possible sale of Arkane Lyon and Blade; Copilot support ending on smart TVs in 2026; and strong Azure-driven cloud growth amid a financial reporting overhaul.

(Source：The Verge)