Using chatbots for AI therapy might be discouraged by qualified medical professionals, but that didn’t stop one Xbox executive from recommending it in the event of a major job loss.
Following a sweeping round of layoffs at Microsoft’s Xbox division earlier this month, impacting over 9,000 staff, Xbox Game Studios executive Matt Turnbull recommended a series of prompts to “help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss.” He addressed anyone “navigating a job layoff or even quietly preparing for one.”
In a now-deleted post, spotted by Xbox news site Aftermath, the executive recommended that laid-off workers could consider typing prompts such as: “I’m struggling with imposter syndrome after being laid off. Can you help me reframe this experience in a way that reminds me what I’m good at?”
Turnbull also provided template prompts for things like career planning tailored for your specific job role, resume and LinkedIn advice, and networking and outreach.
Users on social media were quick to point out the potential irony of asking an AI chatbot for advice on coping with your job loss—many are already pointing the finger at AI for replacing a multitude of jobs in the video game industry. In the past few years, we’ve seen many impressive demonstrations of how AI can be used for video game art, coding, level design, and even writing and voice-overs.
To add insult to injury, the executive suggested readers use Microsoft’s Copilot or OpenAI’s ChatGPT, tools either owned or partially owned by Microsoft, the laid-off Xbox employees’ former employer.
“If they are out of bread, then let them eat cake,” said one Reddit poster in response to the suggestions, a saying attributed to Marie Antoinette, a French queen executed during the French Revolution.
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“Correction: Let them print off an AI-generated recipe for cake,” added another user.
Another user on Bluesky commented: “Executives need to be replaced with automation.”
Microsoft is at the forefront of using AI for game development tools with its generative AI tool ‘Muse’, showcasing the ability to generate playable versions of pre-existing titles. Meanwhile, outside of the world of video games, only 23% of Americans predict AI will have a positive impact on how people do their jobs, while Microsoft founder Bill Gates said earlier this year that humans one day won’t be needed for “most things.”
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About Will McCurdy
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