Microsoft is facing internal criticism over its aggressive artificial intelligence (AI) expansion, with a group of current and former employees circulating an open letter questioning the company’s priorities. The letter describes the workplace as increasingly “joyless and demoralizing” and raises concerns about employee morale, workload, job security and the impact of AI adoption.
The development comes shortly after Microsoft announced a voluntary buyout programme for approximately 60,000 employees across India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. The programme represents more than a quarter of the company’s global workforce and is its largest buyout initiative to date.
Employees Question Microsoft’s Aggressive AI Push
The open letter, signed by a group calling itself “Concerned Microsoft Workers”, argues that the company’s focus on expanding AI is coming at the expense of employees, customers and environmental commitments.
Employees claim they are being encouraged or pressured to use AI tools across different parts of their work, sometimes without adequate training or clear explanations of their benefits. They say this creates additional responsibilities, including learning new systems, correcting inaccurate AI-generated outputs and fixing features that do not perform as expected.
The letter also raises concerns about increasing workloads, repeated organisational restructuring and uncertainty over whether AI could eventually replace certain jobs.
The group has called for employees to have a greater say in decisions about how AI is developed and implemented. It has also asked Microsoft to stop connecting AI tool usage with employee rewards or disciplinary measures.
Microsoft’s Voluntary Buyout Covers Four Countries
Microsoft announced its Voluntary Exit Offer on October 26, covering eligible employees at internal level 70 and below in participating teams across India, the US, the UK and Canada.
Employees accepting the offer will receive at least eight weeks of base pay, with the final amount depending on their job level and length of service. The deadline to decide is December 9, while employees accepting the offer are scheduled to leave on December 31.
Some sales and engineering teams are excluded from the programme. Microsoft expects fewer than 5% of eligible employees to accept the offer.
Chief People Officer Amy Coleman has described the programme as an opportunity for employees considering a future outside the company to make that transition with financial support. She has also said the buyouts are not directly linked to changes in how AI is affecting work.
Record Profits And AI Investments Raise Employee Concerns
The criticism has also drawn attention to the difference between Microsoft’s financial performance and employee compensation.
The company reported quarterly revenue of $92.3 billion and a profit of $36.6 billion, representing a 32% increase in profit compared with the previous year. Its capital expenditure, largely directed towards data centres, increased 30% to $45.2 billion.
However, employees reportedly said that some merit-based salary increases this year were below 1%. Concerns about limited salary growth alongside substantial AI investments have also surfaced during internal discussions.
Microsoft expects to spend approximately $170 billion during the 2026 calendar year, reflecting the scale of its investment in AI infrastructure.
Workers Seek Environmental And Community Protections
The open letter outlines three broad demands: stronger employee participation and protections in AI adoption, safeguards for communities affected by AI infrastructure, and continued commitment to environmental goals.
The signatories want Microsoft to maintain its 2030 commitments to becoming carbon negative, water positive and achieving zero waste. They have also questioned the environmental impact of data centre expansion and certain company contracts.
Summary
Microsoft is facing employee criticism over its AI strategy as it offers voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 workers across four countries. Employees have raised concerns about mandatory AI adoption, heavier workloads, job security and limited salary increases despite record profits. Their open letter calls for greater employee involvement in AI decisions and continued environmental commitments.
