Xbox executive’s tone-deaf LinkedIn post is a scary reminder of where we’re headed

Following mass layoffs at Microsoft, one executive offered some pearls of wisdom, which turned out not to be very wise at all, sparking significant discussions about where we’re headed regarding artificial intelligence.

Matt Turnbull, executive producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, thought it would be a good idea to address those experiencing emotional stress due to layoffs.

For context, Microsoft has recently laid off over 9,100 people in the largest round of job cuts since 2023.

While Microsoft didn’t specify which facets of the company would be affected, media reports indicate that the layoffs have resulted in Xbox Studio closures and abandoned games.

This announcement comes just as Microsoft detailed its plans to invest over $80 million in artificial intelligence (AI), which comes in the form of massive data centers used to train AI models, the BBC reports.

But, back to Turnbull. Following the announcement that Microsoft will be laying off roughly 4% of its workforce, the executive producer at Xbox Game Studios crafted a post on LinkedIn urging people to lean on the technology that’s set to replace them.

In the now-deleted post, Turnbull addresses the “really challenging times” for those navigating a layoff.

“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,” Turnbull said about large language models (LLMs) and other AI tools.

Turnbull bestows his pearls of wisdom upon his over 1,500 LinkedIn followers, expressing that he’s been “experimenting with ways to use LLM AI tools” to relieve the “emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss.”

The executive, who is still very much in the job, gave his LinkedIn followers some prompt ideas if they’re “feeling overwhelmed.”

After a flurry of AI prompts meant to help with a range of issues from resume building to emotional clarity and confidence building, Turnbull ends on an “inspiring” note.

“No AI tool is a replacement for your voice or your lived experience,” he proclaims, “but at the same time, when mental energy is scarce, these tools can help get you unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity.”

Matt Turnbull, Executive Producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing - after the Microsoft layoffs - suggesting on Linkedin that may maybe people who have been let go should turn to AI for help. He seriously thought posting this would be a good idea.

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undefined Brandon Sheffield (@brandon.insertcredit.com) July 4, 2025 at 6:48 AM

From what I can see, the irony is wholly lost on Turnbull, and I, along with everyone else who saw the post, am dumbstruck that he didn’t recognize how tone-deaf this LinkedIn lamentation could be.

I’m not the only one who questioned this post. Brandon Sheffield, creative director at Necrosoft Games, reposted it to Bluesky, and the comments show just how well it resonated with users.

Sheffield himself exposed the irony of Turnbull’s post, saying that following mass layoffs at your company, executives shouldn’t urge people to turn to AI when it's actively being used to replace them.

Users agree that this post screams “LinkedIn brain,” a condition in which high-powered executives try to appear relatable by posting the most out-of-touch, “inspirational” anecdotes about their rise to success.

Experts have mixed feelings about Turnbull’s post. While they acknowledge that this move was indeed tone-deaf, they make a point that I didn’t expect.

Using AI in these situations could be good on a supplementary basis, but to avoid taking accountability and offering after care for those experiencing layoffs is essentially unacceptable.

Patrice Williams-Lindo, a workforce strategist with over 20 years of experience, commented on Turnbull’s post, saying, “It’s possible it was well-intended, but it’s deeply tone-deaf.”

“It’s akin to suggesting that someone use the very tool that displaced them to process the fallout without accountability for the structures that led to the harm,” Williams-Lindo told Cybernews.

Similarly, career and leadership coach Phoebe Gavinn told Cybernews that while “the executive may have meant well and had a decent message, but he was absolutely the wrong messenger.”

“Telling vulnerable people to 'use the tech that’s replacing you to recover' from a position of such immense privilege and stability was never going to come off well,” Gavinn told Cybernews.

John Bisnar, an employment law attorney, has had extensive experience with those navigating layoffs.

Bisnar told Cybernews that he found the now-removed post by Turnbull “extremely insensitive.”

“The implication that laid-off individuals use the same AI resources that could have been instrumental in getting them laid off as a means for addressing their unemployment ignores the severe material and emotional suffering that lies in the wake thereof,” Bisnar told Cybernews.

Furthermore, Bluesky users are accusing Turnbull of using AI to write the post about using AI to navigate the emotional turmoil caused by being replaced by AI.

Which is yet another layer of irony that shrouds the situation.

It’s apparent that Microsoft is switching to a more AI-first approach, evidenced by an internal memo seen by Business Insider that urges employees to use internal AI tools.

Microsoft’s developer division president, Julia Liuson, made it very clear that “using AI is no longer optional” and is a fundamental facet of working for the tech giant.

Therefore, who do we blame? Do we shoot the messenger or address the wider issue at hand? Companies' implementation of AI to cut costs is and will continue to harm actual people.

While Turnball’s post was unnecessary, it illuminates the broader issues that we’re facing. The question now stands: what are we racing towards if it's at the expense of real people?