Microsoft has laid off over 2,000 employees in Washington, with software engineers making up more than 40% of the cuts. The layoffs come shortly after CEO Satya Nadella revealed that AI now writes 30% of the company’s code. While Microsoft cites management restructuring, the growing role of AI in software development raises concerns about automation replacing human coders.
Microsoft Layoffs Target Software Engineers as AI Automates More Coding Tasks
Microsoft’s recent round of layoffs in Washington state has disproportionately affected software engineers, according to a new report by Bloomberg. Over 40% of the more than 2,000 employees laid off were coders, making them the largest group impacted by far.
This comes as Microsoft continues its broader plan to cut approximately 6,000 jobs globally. While job reductions are common in large corporations, what makes this wave particularly noteworthy is its timing: just weeks ago, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that up to 30% of the company’s codebase is now being written by artificial intelligence tools.
The company has not publicly confirmed whether the rise of AI-assisted development influenced these layoffs. However, Microsoft did cite a need to "reduce management layers" as part of its restructuring strategy. Notably, sales and marketing departments saw significantly fewer cuts, reinforcing speculation that AI's role in software development may be reshaping Microsoft’s workforce structure.
Microsoft has heavily invested in AI technologies, including its partnership with OpenAI and the integration of AI copilots in its developer tools. With AI becoming more proficient in generating code, the tech industry faces a critical question: Are AI tools beginning to replace human coders? While developers still make up a large part of Microsoft’s workforce, the company does not disclose exact numbers. But as AI continues to evolve, software engineers across the industry may need to adapt quickly or risk being left behind.
Comments
0 comment