AI for Laid-Off Workers: Xbox Exec’s Bold Tip After 9,100 Job Cuts

Key Points

• AI for Laid-Off Workers: Xbox Exec’s Bold Tip After 9,100 Job Cuts
• Microsoft is cutting up to 9,100 jobs amid studio closures
• AI tools like ChatGPT can help with resumes, confidence, and job search
• The post suggesting this advice was later deleted after backlash

The gaming industry just faced another massive shake-up. Microsoft’s decision to lay off up to 9,100 employees, many of them from its Xbox division, has left the creative community reeling. Studios have been shuttered, projects scrapped, and thousands of professionals are now seeking their next opportunity.

Amid the chaos, Matt Turnbull, an executive at Xbox Game Studios, suggested an unexpected coping mechanism: use AI for emotional and professional support.

Laid-off workers should use AI to manage their emotions, says Xbox exec pic.twitter.com/SWHZD0Jj9W

— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) July 5, 2025

In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Turnbull acknowledged how hard layoffs can hit. He offered a list of ways people can use large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to make the transition easier. His idea? Let AI do the heavy lifting when your mind is too overwhelmed to even start.

“These tools can help get you unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity,” Turnbull wrote.

He emphasized that AI isn’t a substitute for real human connection or lived experience. But it can offer structure and motivation during a time when energy is scarce. From career planning to reframing imposter syndrome, Turnbull listed practical ways AI could be used to move forward after being laid off.

In a now deleted LinkedIn post, Matt Turnbull, Executive Producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, suggested that people who have been laid off by Microsoft should use AI like ChatGPT to help reduce the emotions that come with job loss: “I know these types of tools engender… pic.twitter.com/HwhHrDMMsW

— Rebs Gaming (@Mr_Rebs_) July 4, 2025

His sample prompts covered:

• Career Planning: Creating structured 30-day job search plans

• Resume Help: Rewriting and customizing CVs for specific roles

• Networking: Drafting outreach messages for former colleagues and recruiters

• Mental Health: Rebuilding confidence and reframing negative self-talk

In theory, this kind of AI assistance could be a lifeline. But in practice, it stirred up controversy fast.

Creatives Push Back Against AI-Driven Advice

Turnbull’s post, though intended as supportive, quickly became a flashpoint. Once shared on platforms like Bluesky, it received heavy criticism from creative professionals who are already anxious about AI’s growing presence in their industries.

For many, the suggestion that AI—seen as a job-killer—is also the solution to job loss, felt tone-deaf. Microsoft itself has aggressively pushed into AI, having committed $80 billion to AI infrastructure earlier this year. To laid-off employees, that sounds like replacing people with tools.

Some responses highlighted this contradiction. How can a company invest billions in automation and then offer AI as therapy when its tools are partly to blame for the shrinking job market?

There’s also the emotional nuance. Suggesting that a chatbot can help with confidence and grief feels impersonal to many who’ve poured years into their creative work. Especially in game development, where storytelling and human connection are core, the advice didn’t land as intended.

Still, not everyone dismissed the idea. Some professionals acknowledged that using AI for structure and support can help—especially when the emotional toll of layoffs makes basic tasks feel exhausting.

Interestingly, Microsoft has recently faced issues beyond layoffs, such as the Windows Blue Screen of Death bug affecting AMD users—a reminder that even tech giants are navigating unstable territory.

Blue Screen of Death is officially gone after 40 years. #BSOD #Windows11 #MicrosoftUpdate #BlueScreenOfDeath pic.twitter.com/2rdZIxAeRw

— TechPP (@techpp) June 27, 2025

AI Is Already Changing Job Search Strategies

While the backlash is understandable, AI is becoming a standard tool in job searching, whether people are ready or not. Many professionals—laid-off or not—are already using AI to:

• Rewrite their resumes in cleaner formats

• Analyze job listings for keyword alignment

• Create custom cover letters based on employer tone

• Practice mock interviews with realistic questions

• Track application progress using AI-generated spreadsheets

As seen with platforms like Figma’s AI-focused IPO and Google Gemini AI integration with Sheets, artificial intelligence is becoming embedded into the everyday workflow, even outside the gaming industry.

Tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and LinkedIn’s AI job assistant are now widely used in recruitment. For laid-off workers, the key may not be whether to use AI—but how to use it smartly and ethically.

AI can offer something like a productivity boost, particularly when mental health is fragile. When it’s hard to sit down and plan next steps, typing a few prompts into a chatbot may help users start moving again.

The key is balance. AI should be treated as a tool, not a replacement for therapy, mentorship, or community support. As Turnbull said, “No AI tool is a replacement for your voice or your lived experience.”

But when used carefully, AI may be part of a bigger recovery toolkit—especially during one of the most unstable times in the gaming industry’s recent history.

In a tech world that’s constantly evolving—whether it’s Samsung’s tri-fold phone leaks or Honor launching the thinnest foldable ever—adaptability matters. The same goes for job seekers using AI: those who adapt quickly are likely to bounce back faster.