Coders were among those most affected by Microsoft’s recent layoff of 2,000 employees in its home state of Washington, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Large Impact on Software Engineering
Bloomberg found that over 40% of those laid off were in software engineering, making it the largest category affected by the layoffs. Sales and marketing positions were relatively spared in comparison.
AI’s Growing Role in Microsoft
CEO Satya Nadella recently stated that up to 30% of Microsoft’s code is now written by artificial intelligence. This revelation raised questions about whether the layoffs were influenced by the increasing use of AI in coding.
Microsoft’s Response
When asked about the motivation behind the layoffs, Microsoft declined to comment. The company has stated that the layoffs are part of an effort to streamline management layers within the organization.
