Microsoft's Tone-Deaf Xbox Job Ad Fails With AI Slop After Huge Layoffs
Mike Matsel, Principal Development Lead of Xbox Graphics, posted job openings for “folks with experience with device drivers, GPU performance, or related validation or engineering system experience.” At a time of tenuous job security within the gaming industry, this would normally be welcomed. However, the timing, which followed the dismissal of over 9,000 employees, along with the accompanying image, drew immediate backlash.
As part of the post, Matsel included an image of a woman sitting at a computer alongside Xbox branding. The problem is that it was immediately spotted as an AI generated image because of how poorly it was done. The monitor in the image is backwards, with the display portion facing away from the woman and towards the viewer. It didn’t sit well with many that an image created by AI was used in a search for potential human employees. It also points to a lack of attention to detail that is emblematic of what’s wrong within Microsoft's Xbox division at the moment.
The responses to the post have been scathing. One user responded with “very insensitive given the thousands of people that were just laid off at Microsoft.” Another added that “This is the first comment I've made on LinkedIn in a VERY long time, but I had to break that streak to tell you this post is an absolute embarrassment and you should really be ashamed.”
It has been jarring seeing the rollercoaster Xbox has been on lately. A month ago, it seemed as if it finally figured out a path forward, delivering its games to virtually any major platform a player might be on. Now, it’s difficult to see how Xbox manages to turn things around.
