Microsoft's recent layoffs have hit software engineers the hardest — just as the company pushes aggressively into AI-driven coding.

In Short
Microsoft recently announced job cuts affecting roughly 6,000 employees globally
Reportedly, over 40 per cent of the layoffs in Washington state targeted software engineers
Meanwhile, customer-facing roles like sales and marketing were largely spared

Microsoft’s recent layoffs have hit software engineers the hardest, just as the company pushes aggressively into AI-driven coding. According to a CNBC report, the tech giant announced cuts affecting roughly 6,000 employees globally. But internal data reveals a disturbing trend: over 40 per cent of the layoffs in Washington state targeted software engineers, as per a Bloomberg analysis. Even more unsettling? Some of these engineers were reportedly instructed months earlier to increase their reliance on AI tools, only to later find themselves out of a job as the very technology they helped integrate replaced their roles.

According to a report by The Information, Jeff Hulse, a Microsoft VP overseeing 400 engineers, had directed his team to use OpenAI-powered chatbots to generate up to 50 per cent of their code — a good enough rise from the general 20-30 per cent AI contribution. Weeks later, his team was among those who lost their jobs as part of the layoff process. The timing raises uncomfortable questions: were these engineers unwittingly training their own replacements? Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has openly talked about AI, writing nearly a third of the company’s code in some projects, framing it as a productivity breakthrough. But for the engineers suddenly out of work, it’s a harsh reminder of corporate priorities.

The layoffs weren’t limited to junior coders. Employees in product management and technical program management roles, along with workers assigned to AI projects, were also caught in the crossfire. Gabriela de Queiroz, Microsoft’s Director of AI for Startups, publicly confirmed her dismissal, calling it "bittersweet" and expressing grief for colleagues who "cared deeply, went above and beyond, and truly made a difference." Meanwhile, state filings show that customer-facing roles like sales and marketing were largely spared.

Microsoft insists the restructuring is about removing management layers, but the numbers tell a different story. Only 17 per cent of the Washington layoffs were managers, mirroring the company’s overall managerial ratio. The real driver appears to be cost-cutting amid massive AI investments, including data centre expansions and OpenAI partnerships.

Beyond the raw numbers, the layoffs have sparked protests, including an incident at Microsoft’s Build 2025 event where an employee, Joe Lopez, disrupted proceedings to condemn the company’s contracts with the Israeli government. For many engineers who lost their jobs, the hardest part is knowing they helped Microsoft transition to AI-driven development, only to be let go because of it.
https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/s...8778-2025-05-22

This post has been edited by Le Don: May 23 2025, 01:23 PM

Meanwhile

>bill gates just having his days in singapore, eatin n chillin

Did they just lay off white and keep their own type?

Is engineers the right word?

They are programmers. software developers. Software "engineers"

Not the sense of engineers we usually refer to: civil, electrical, mechanical

So, using the term "engineer" is a little misleading.

That’s why traditional jobs like carpentry, plumbing, hairdressing, tailor are still safe from being replaced. Time to teach ourselves and our kids this skill sets!

Working till 65 is least of your worries....

You might not even be needed in the next few years for the work your doing...

Extrapolate this to everyone or every country that is pushing AI.

AI can even do simple coding and i believe some prototype AI model can do complex programming already there...

Don't worry, you can always ride bicycle to generate electricity for the data center running AI

More gonna die once this ai go into more industry

When other jobs r replaced, everyone would go into these fields n there would be a super glut.

that is why i hate doing automated scripts.
being busy will kept your job around.

if you look at the definition of an engineer as below:

An engineer is a professional who applies scientific and mathematical principles to design, develop, and build structures, machines, or systems.

traditionally, developers has the job of designing and developing sometimes complex systems and in some cases, useing mathamatical principles for example in games. in particular the early days when ppl are still using assembly language. that's why they were called engineers

u may or may not agree but u r 30 years too late to the party

You can really see the economy getting better. People who used to be in the B40 group are now doing way better—basically B20 now. Even those in the T20 group have leveled up to T30. Just look around... almost every household has at least 2 cars these days. That says a lot.

But they were paid, thats wat matters rite?

If these ppl brainy, they can do alot more on their own after retrenchment… earn more even…

Software engineer is different from programmers. It's a different course in uni and a different job title in worksplaces

This post has been edited by ReoAyanami: May 23 2025, 05:30 PM

digging own grave. Well done.
Maybe the boss tell them to train AI so can fired the team next door, manatau sendiri kena.