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Microsoft lays off the staff who make the money to fund AI that doesn’t (pivot-to-ai.com)
submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[-] [email protected] 21 points 3 days ago

This is pure speculation, but I get the feeling Microsoft's gonna significantly downsize, if not collapse, by the decade's end.

This recent move's gonna kneecap Microsoft's ability to function as a company, and their heavy investment into AI mean they'll likely take the brunt of the impact when the bubble bursts.

[-] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago

That's fine, they had a "make money by stepping over morals" philosophy from the very start.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

That philosophy always ends in stepping into dogshit to try to boost stock prices.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

Yeah, it's not sustainable long-term, but they're not in for it long-term anyway.

[-] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago

This does sounds like doubling down on a bet.

[-] [email protected] 11 points 2 days ago

As a matter of fact, someone's noted Ed Zitron had called this back in September:

[-] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

There’s something I’ve been wondering about: is the management (of not just Microsoft but really any company who’s pivoting to AI this hard, so also Duolingo and Klarna, &c.) really convinced that there’s going to be a foom event soon and the chatbots become capable enough to actually do the work they attribute to them? Or do Nadella and friends know this is all bullshit and just play along until they can’t anymore and leave the sinking ship?

I honestly can’t tell anymore.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

From the perspective of the company I work for (not a tech company, but has a pretty large development center) they truly believe that AI will 10x productivity. Not so much the FOOM stuff. Just typical Capitalism.

[-] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

My take is that the Silicon Valley overlords live in a bubble, where they believe that.

[-] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago

but does the prospect of mass human sacrifice please The Line?

[-] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago

What is that title even that doesnt

[-] [email protected] 20 points 3 days ago

Microsoft lays off the staff who make the money (which is used) to fund AI that doesn’t (make money).

[-] [email protected] 11 points 3 days ago

It's English, but British, Jim.

[-] [email protected] 0 points 3 days ago

Tried saying it in a British accent, it didn't help.

[-] [email protected] 13 points 3 days ago

If you don't get it, LLMs don't either, and David's work here is done.

[-] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

Thanks David. I really enjoy your tea

[-] [email protected] 30 points 3 days ago

Stock markets generally love layoffs, and they appear to love AI at the moment. To be honest, I'm not sure they thought beyond that.

this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2025
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