Microsoft this week cut dozens of full-time staffers from its MSN news service, many of them in senior positions, in a move further away from human editors and toward using artificial intelligence to curate stories.
The move comes six weeks after the Redmond, Wash.-based technology giant told about 50 news production contractors they would not be kept on by MSN beyond June 30. Full-time employees were spared from those cuts, but some MSN workers who were let go said domestic staffers and others globally were informed by conference calls Monday that, effective immediately, their services were no longer needed.
A Microsoft spokesperson acknowledged the company eliminated “a small number” of roles Monday across various departments, including MSN, but would not provide specific numbers. The spokesperson said the cuts are part of a redeployment of resources the company typically engages in during its new fiscal year which began July 1 and that it remains committed to news and content and MSN as a business moving forward.
One former employee cut Monday said the moves dramatically reduced the number of human editors handling content curation for the site.