Xbox exec tells laid-off staff to use ChatGPT and backlash ensues

Xbox Game Studios head Matt Turnbull suggested that the newly unemployed turn to AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot for emotional and practical support. The industry's reaction? Let's just say it didn't go over well.

This week, Microsoft dropped a bombshell: more than 9,000 employees are being laid off. The Xbox division was hit particularly hard, with as much as one fifth of the team reportedly gone. A tragedy for the staff and for the industry as a whole. In the midst of this, Matt Turnbull, head of Xbox Game Studios, suggested that those affected turn to AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot for support and comfort.

His intention was to help ease both the emotional toll and the practical challenges of job loss. In a LinkedIn post (now deleted), he shared example prompts—for structuring job searches, writing sharp résumés, and even receiving emotional support—and explained:

I know these types of tools engender strong feelings in people, but I'd be remiss in not trying to offer the best advice I can under the circumstances. I've been experimenting with ways to use LLM AI tools (like ChatGPT or Copilot) to help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss.

Tactless? Yep—and most people seemed to agree. The post sparked a wave of backlash, especially among creatives in the games industry, who saw it as cold and dehumanising.

Technically, there's nothing wrong with using AI to support a job hunt. But recommending it right after a massive wave of layoffs—many of which are suspected to be tied to AI replacing human labour—feels a bit like handing out a life jacket to someone who's already drowned.

The full post can be read below.