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One Xbox producer has come under fire for a seemingly short-sighted post advising former workers on their next steps.
While the gaming industry is no stranger to layoffs, and this wouldn't be the first time Microsoft's gaming arm has been pruned, it's been hit with the second-biggest layoffs in its history.
Some 9,000 workers have been shown the door, with Microsoft announcing a major investment in artificial intelligence.
There's been an obvious backlash, and as well as gamers mourning the loss of major games like the long-awaited Perfect Dark reboot, one major name has stirred the pot with his 'brutal' advice.
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As reported by Aftermath, executive producer Matt Turnbull posted a now-deleted LinkedIn post advising the layoff staff to take their grievance to ChapGPT.
The site says that Turnbull said: "These are really challenging times, and if you’re navigating a layoff or even quietly preparing for one, you’re not alone and you don’t have to go it alone.
No AI tool is a replacement for your voice or your lived experience.
“But at a time when mental energy is scarce, these tools can help get you unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity."
The big issue here is that Microsoft has announced a massive $80 billion investment in AI. Turnbull continued: "I know these types of tools engender strong feelings in people, but l'd be remiss in not trying to offer the best advice I can under the circumstances.
“I've been experimenting with ways to use [large language model] Al tools (like ChatGPT or Copilot) to help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss."
He went on to issue a series of prompts for what you could ask the chatbot, suggesting you could ask it, "I'm struggling with imposter syndrome after being laid off," or even, "Can you help me reframe this experience in a way that reminds me what I'm good at?"
Social media was soon awash with everything from those questioning whether he was being serious, to downright outrage.
One disgruntled person on X wrote: "The new Severance season is insanely good."
Another added: "I'm sure the irony of suggesting his readers 'stay smart' after posting a step-by-step guide on newfound unemployment navigation via ChatGPT prompts is not lost on those navigating their newfound unemployment."
Seeing more of where Turnbull was trying to help, a third said: "Very, very, _veeerry_ tone deaf. That being said, some of these prompts are useful and could help. Just, uh, quite possibly the worst possible timing to post something like this."
A fourth concluded: "This is as sweet as someone your spouse left you for is giving you advice how to cope with it."
Some have accused Turnbull's sentiments of being 'insincere', but we'd like to hope he was actually trying to offer help. In terms of timing, though, suggesting people who might've been laid off because of AI to speak to AI about their issues feels like a serious foot-in-the-mouth moment.
