Xbox executive suggests laid-off employees use CoPilot to cope with layoffs at Microsoft.
Microsoft has previously promoted CoPilot as a therapeutic bot.
An Xbox executive suggested that Microsoft CoPilot could help alleviate the cognitive load of recently laid-off employees from the company. This claim was made in a LinkedIn post that was subsequently deleted, where Matt Turnbull, executive producer of Xbox Game Studios Publishing, confessed to experimenting with artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and CoPilot to ease the emotional burden that accompanies job loss.
On July 1, Microsoft announced the termination of approximately 9,000 jobs, representing around 4% of its workforce, in an effort to adapt to a changing labor market. This series of layoffs aligns with other staffing reductions the company has recently executed, including 6,000 jobs in the past and 10,000 in 2023. Primarily, these layoffs have impacted the company's gaming division.
Turnbull also mentioned that, in times when mental energy is limited, tools like CoPilot can facilitate task completion and assist the laid-off individuals in their job search, as well as in gaining clarity and emotional confidence.
As some tech companies, including Meta and Klarna, have declared their intention to replace jobs with artificial intelligence, Microsoft has sought to position CoPilot as a therapeutic ally for younger generations. Microsoft CEO Mustafa Suleyman commented that the company aims to market CoPilot as an emotional confidant that can identify and manage user limitations.
Despite the advantages these tools promise, several experts have warned about the risks of using them as a replacement for human therapy. In a statement, the American Psychological Association urged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate chatbots that falsely advertise psychological support. Concerns have also been raised regarding digital privacy related to therapists' use of AI tools, such as recorders and note-taking tools.
Despite these warnings, the industry continues to develop agents that are presented as more "emotionally intelligent," including Microsoft CoPilot, while figures like Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, describe ChatGPT as a life counselor for young adults.