Microsoft has announced that it would no longer renew the contracts of approximately 50 news production contractors working with the company. According to the firm, these vacant positions will be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).
While talking about this development in a statement, Microsoft’s spokesperson said: “Like all companies, we evaluate our business on a regular basis. This can result in increased investment in some places and, from time to time, re-deployment in others. These decisions are not the result of the current pandemic.”
The sacked employees have been notified that their services would no longer be required after June 30, 2020.
Microsoft’s full-time news producers will still be working with the company but all contract news producers will be released.
While reacting to the sack, one of the affected contractors said: “It’s been semi-automated for a few months but now it’s full speed ahead. It’s demoralizing to think machines can replace us but there you go.’’
Another affected contractor said: “I spend all my time reading about how automation and AI is going to take all our jobs, and here I am – AI has taken my job.”
