Laid-Off Workers Should Use AI To Manage Their Emotions, Says Xbox Exec (theverge.com) 55
An anonymous reader shares a report: 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.
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.
Sounds like a solid plan (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Sounds like a solid plan (Score:5, Insightful)
People Are Being Involuntarily Committed, Jailed After Spiraling Into "ChatGPT Psychosis" [futurism.com]
No shit. What AI developer PR machine came up with "Laid-Off Workers Should Use AI To Manage Their Emotions, Says Xbox Exec". Oh, Microsofts.
For f*ck sake, go talk to friends and family in the real world. And if you don't have any in the real world then go find some, not an AI.
This is like going to the fast food / snack food industry for advice on the food pyramid. Oh wait, we did that too.
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After all, you have some time on your hands now.
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For f*ck sake, go talk to friends and family in the real world. And if you don't have any in the real world then go find some, not an AI.
... and when you realize just how many of your friends and family have repeatedly ended up in the same boat, learn from history and do what works: labor movement. Because "laid off" does not mean you were too lazy. It means they already took everything they could get, and now they want you to shut up and go away.
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For f*ck sake, go talk to friends and family in the real world. And if you don't have any in the real world then go find some, not an AI.
... and when you realize just how many of your friends and family have repeatedly ended up in the same boat, learn from history and do what works: labor movement. Because "laid off" does not mean you were too lazy. It means they already took everything they could get, and now they want you to shut up and go away.
Hint: Want friends in the real world? Don't make everything an opportunity for partisan political evangelism. :-)
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And regarding the interpretations of history, there are the honest searches for reality which may or may not be correct. And there are the political interpretations of history, which are rarely correct, and often inspired not by a search for the truth but to be.a tool of manipulation.
So we can pursue truth, or we can pursue manipulation.
And of course, an honest search can honestly lead to the pol
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That's a hell of a way to trim headcount: threaten to lay people off (or just go ahead and do it!) and then turn their brains to mush by using their weakened emotional state and gaslighting AI to finally push them over the edge.
Oh the irony (Score:2)
Taking his own advice? (Score:5, Funny)
His LinkedIn post looks like it was written by ChatGPT, so everything checks out. Maybe "Matt Turnbull" doesn't exist and the AI bots really are taking over?
ChatGPT can provide insight on that :-) (Score:3)
His LinkedIn post looks like it was written by ChatGPT, so everything checks out. Maybe "Matt Turnbull" doesn't exist and the AI bots really are taking over?
I'm using ChatGPT to respond to you post ...
"How would you respond to the comment "His LinkedIn post looks like it was written by ChatGPT""
ChatGPT said:
Here are a few different ways you could respond, depending on your tone and intent:
Neutral/Professional:
“That’s possible—tools like ChatGPT are often used to help draft professional posts. What matters is whether the content is clear and meaningful.”
Supportive/Constructive:
“If it was, then he used it well! AI tool
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It would not be the first time. LinkedIn is full of fake profiles for various reasons.
Best advice is to use AI? (Score:3, Insightful)
Considering that AI chatbots seem to have issues with the truth and holding difficult conversations (to put it politely), this advice may be worth less than what you paid for it.
Go see a counsellor or talk to a friend. You'll get another job and it will be a better one.
ChatGPT says ... it can’t replace human ther (Score:4, Funny)
"How would you respond to the advice "Laid-Off Workers Should Use AI To Manage Their Emotions"?"
That's a loaded piece of advice, and how you respond really depends on your tone, values, and how seriously (or skeptically) you're taking the idea. Here are a few thoughtful responses across a spectrum of reactions:
Analytical/Thoughtful:
“AI can offer tools for journaling, perspective-taking, or even cognitive behavioral prompts—but let’s not mistake that for real emotional support. It might help manage emotions, but it can’t replace human connection, therapy, or community.”
Skeptical but Polite:
“That’s an interesting take. AI might help you reflect or stay organized during a tough time, but expecting it to manage something as complex as grief, identity loss, or fear of instability feels like asking a calculator to do therapy.”
Dry Humor:
“Ah yes, nothing soothes existential dread quite like a chatbot named Gary reminding you to breathe and update your resume.”
Constructive/Optimistic:
“AI won’t fix the emotional fallout of being laid off, but it can be a tool—like journaling, meditation, or even resume-building. It’s support, not a solution.”
Frustrated/Calling It Out:
“It’s a bit dystopian to suggest AI should manage the emotions caused by systemic issues like mass layoffs. How about fixing the economic instability instead of outsourcing empathy to machines?”
If you'd like, I can help you craft a reply for LinkedIn or a panel response that walks the line between empathy, realism, and forward-thinking.
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In your body you said "ChapGPT", but I wasn't sure that wasn't part of the joke. Nor how much of the Funny post was actually written by a human. Assuming you are human.
Increasingly dangerous assumption these years.
Poe's Law may apply.
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The response was purely ChatGPT. Try the exact same question yourself. It would be interesting to see if the answer today is different.
I was motivated by a genuine curiosity, I expected humor and fun, but the question posed to ChatGPT was sincere. I was curious as to what it would say. I genuinely loved the dry humor, and fully expect it basically lifted that from somethin
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Now I notice another spelling error in the human part...
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Now I notice another spelling error in the human part...
Was it human, or was Chat GPT asked to emulate a human who is not proofreading? :-)
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You'll get another job and it will be a better one.
A lot of people that I see employed to do "technology" related tasks are unfit for duty and should probably be employed on a farm or somesuch. The vast majority of the population is literally obsolete in this world. The worst part of that is that the people who make decisions are part of the class that belongs out on the farm. Regardless, we can't leave 6 billion people behind. WTF?
A society needs to be engineered to meet the needs of ALL of the people. The only reason we don't engineer such a society is be
Hope He Remembers (Score:5, Insightful)
I hope he remembers his advice when he gets let go.
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Humanity is not ready to give up on having rulers. Hell we can't even recognize we have them in America
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most people use their Canon to shoot, not fire, but I guess that's semantics.
Advice (Score:3)
get advice about creating resumes, career planning, and applying for new roles
Or advice on lock picking, disabling burglar alarms, hotwiring cars, phishing, and defrauding before visiting top executives to thank them for such great advice and generous severance pay for all those years of hard work and compensate for finding a good job in a shrinking job market.
Fantastic (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: Fantastic (Score:5, Funny)
Re: Fantastic (Score:4, Funny)
microsoft is always super helpful (Score:4, Funny)
[redacted] (Score:2)
I'm self-censoring every thought I have on this one so I don't end up on a(nother) list
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Was one of those thoughts "I think he should have an extra large marital AId shoved where the sun doesn't shine"?
Let them eat cake! (Score:2)
Classic ruling class rhetoric. Reminder that ML needs physics more than physics need ML and that "LLMs" are a red herring.
Cut out the middleman (Score:3)
Good advice, almost. Big, bloated corporate behemoths want to use AI to replace some of their own workers, but what they fail to realize is that advancing AI tools in the public domain enable smaller independent developers to produce higher-quality software on a much smaller budget. Why waste your time with an $80 title from an MS publisher (or a subscription to Xbox Live) when you can buy a $15-$20 indie title that looks like it came from ~2016 and might actually be fun to play?
In other words, the people getting shitcanned by MS/Xbox should band together and make their own passion projects using the very tools that threaten to replace them.
Ghoul exec (Score:3)
I can see pros as well as cons... (Score:2)
Can't you go to jail (Score:1)
Dear Mr Turnbull (Score:4, Informative)
Sounds like a plan (Score:2)
This is so sad, I almost feel bad making fun of my tribe getting laid off, even if they did work for a company I've despised for 20 years. If they were Adobe employees, though, I'd probably chuckle, they are the worst.
I asked Bender ... (Score:2)
Laid-Off Workers Should Use AI To Manage Their Emotions
Bender recommended hookers and Blackjack then fell asleep, drunk, and murmured, "Kill all humans." :-)
Probably all good advice, but one sounds like too much work.
AI level response (Score:2)
One word (Score:3)
Oh I hope nobody decides to Luigi this guy.
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Or just grow up. (Score:1)
Just stalk to someone, anyone. Talk it out with your dog, or maybe even a cat. Oh right, new generations don't socialize, in the real world.
AI is not the answer here, or anywhere really.
modern Woowoo (Score:3)
I'm a white supremist now thanks to Tay! (Score:2)
Tay correctly classified my Microsoft manager as a #### #### #### who wants nothing more than to ##### out of ####!
Found the psychopath (Score:2)
"The vitims of my bad management should just go away and shut up" would be a valid translation, I think.
In the old days (Score:2)
Managing our emotions about a scumbag boss was simple. Just call him up at home, ideally while you're drunk. If he doesn't pick up, at least leave an expletive laden message on his answering machine.
But that was back when C-suite didn't make 200 times the salary of the folks doing the work on the ground floor.
Dr. Sbaitso joins the HMO (Score:2)
It is deeply troubling, but in no way surprising, that the people in charge of hiring computer programmers do not understand, to any degree whatsoever, what makes one programmer better than another, much less better than a pattern extrapolator trained mostly on stolen work.
It certainly IS surprising, flabbergasting even, that the people in charge of firing computer programmers and replacing them with LLMs do not understand that it's not going to go down well when they say that you should seek solace for los
Go Xuck yourself Matt Turnbull (Score:5, Insightful)