Xbox producer recommends ChatGPT, Copilot prompts to laid off Microsoft staff

Losing your job is difficult enough. Getting AI prompts suggestions to ask chatbots for help is adding salt to injury. That’s exactly what followed wide layoffs at Microsoft’s Xbox unit, when an executive producer suggested that affected employees seek advice and emotional support from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots.

In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Matt Turnbull, an executive producer at Xbox Games Studios Publishing, gave a list of prompts to reduce the “emotional and cognitive load” in difficult moments like these. The tech major last week handed pink slips to 9,000 employees, cancelled games and services and closed studios, while announcing an $80 billion investment in AI.

“No Al tool is a replacement for your voice or your lived experience. But at a time when mental energy is scarce, these tools can help get you unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity,” Turnbull wrote.

Calling the recent Microsoft layoffs “challenging”, Turbull said he would be “remiss in not trying to offer the best advice” in such circumstances, adding that he has been exploring AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot for help with the emotional and cognitive stress that comes with losing a job.

Here’s the list of prompts he suggested:

Career planning prompts-

• “Act as a career coach. I have been laid off from a [role] in the game industry. Help me build a 30-day plan to regroup, research new roles, and start applying without burning out.”
• “What kind of game industry jobs could I pivot to with experience in [Production/Narrative/LiveOps/etc.]

Resume & LinkedIn help-

• “Here’s my current resume. Give me three tailored versions, one for AAA, one for platform/publishing roles, and one for startup/small studio leadership.”
• “Rewrite this resume bullet to highlight impact and metrics.”
• “Draft a new LinkedIn “About Me” section that focuses on my leadership style, shipped titles and version for game development

Networking & Outreach-

• “Draft a friendly message I can send to old coworkers letting them know I’m exploring new opportunities.”
• “Write a warm intro message for reaching out to someone at [studio name] about a job posting.”

ET reported last month that managers within Xbox are expecting substantial cuts across the entire group affecting nearly 617 employees working in the Seattle office. It was the fourth major layoff at Xbox in the past 18 months, following three major cuts last year and the closure of several subsidiaries.

In May, Microsoft introduced a two-year ban on rehiring employees who were let go due to performance issues, calling the job cuts ‘good attrition’.