Microsoft Employee Criticized for Advertising Xbox Graphics Role Using AI 'Slop' Artwork, Just Weeks After Mass Layoffs

A Microsoft worker has drawn disapproval for sharing a widely-ridiculed AI representation to advertise bare roles connected Xbox's graphics team.

The image, which features a pistillate sat astatine a machine typing codification — shown connected the rear of the monitor, alternatively than its surface — is intelligibly made by AI. Accompanying substance states: "Xbox Graphics Is Hiring".

Reaction to the post, which went unrecorded connected LinkedIn implicit the play and is inactive disposable astatine the clip of writing, is simply a substance of bafflement and outright choler — with galore responses criticising the "embarrassing" prime of the image, and the timing of the post, conscionable weeks aft wide layoffs astatine Xbox arsenic Microsoft doubles down connected AI.

"The Xbox Graphics squad is hiring folks with acquisition with instrumentality drivers, GPU performance, oregon related validation oregon engineering strategy experience," a Principal Development Lead connected the Xbox Graphics squad wrote, sharing 2 Senior Software Engineer jobs based astatine Microsoft's Redmond headquarters.

While seemingly not an authoritative station by Microsoft itself — and instead, it appears, the enactment of this idiosyncratic worker — the station has generated much than 100 replies, astir each heavy captious of the occupation ad.

Image credit: LinkedIn

"Do you deliberation this representation communicates 'this is simply a institution wherever we worth radical who tin marque worldly look good?'," wrote a chap Microsoft unit member.

"Posting this days aft MS laid disconnected 9,000 folks successful gamedev, portion including an AI-generated representation wherein the show is backwards... like, dude, work the room," wrote an worker astatine Meta.

"This s**t is conscionable embarrassing. AI gutter-slop representation (THE SCREEN IS ON THE BACK OF THE MONITOR) to advertise a *graphics* post," wrote a Ubisoft employee. "Do. F**king. Better."

A fistful of different responses simply laughed disconnected the image, however, with 1 adjacent suggesting the representation was posted connected intent — to amusement wherefore bully hires were needed.

IGN has contacted the post's author, who is yet to respond to immoderate of the comments.

Microsoft announced plans to shed astir 4% of its staff, oregon astir 9,100 employees, earlier this month, with heavy cuts to respective large Xbox studios. Rare's long-gestating phantasy task Everwild was canned, arsenic was the upcoming Perfect Dark reboot from Tomb Raider workplace Crystal Dynamics and Microsoft outfit The Initiative — which was unopen down completely. Other projects impacted see a promising caller role-player from Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls Online team, and Romero Studios' caller first-person shooter. This latest circular of layoffs is the 4th to deed Microsoft's gaming concern successful 18 months.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social