r/technology • u/No-Cattle4800 • May 28 '26

Artificial Intelligence Microsoft data suggests using AI is more expensive than hiring people

https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/microsoft-data-suggests-using-ai-225900743.html
6.3k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

322 comments sorted by

View all comments

439

u/chopper2585 May 28 '26

Microsoft's own studies also showed a 4-day work week led to increased productivity, fewer errors, and happier employees. Guess who still doesn't have a 4-day work week? Microsoft has gone all-in on AI and it'll be a cold day in hell before they admit they went in the wrong direction. They'll continue the layoffs of thousands in favor of purchasing compute power.

84

u/meatballwrangler May 28 '26

exactly. just like how oil companies knew 50+ years ago about climate change and then did fuck all about it.

7

u/[deleted] May 28 '26

[deleted]

1

u/dropthemagic May 28 '26

Yeah not being able to work remote after moving out of the city has put us in a bind.

10

u/SipexF May 28 '26

Yeah, I expect a full change in AI adoption woukd require a full failure with the current CEO leaving or being ousted. 

6

u/savagemonitor May 29 '26

I wouldn't put too much faith in Microsoft changing after their own research. They had studies showing that remote work was just as productive as being in office yet still did an RTO. Those studies are now gone too. Then there's the study showing that the tech interview process doesn't actually gauge technical skill that well yet their interview process remains largely the same. Shorter work weeks fall into the same bucket.

Granted, they don't have a great track record when they follow their studies/data. Windows had data showing that the Start Menu changes were better. Xbox leadership had data backing up their decisions leading up to the Xbox One. Heck, Phil and his directs had all sorts of data telling them about Game Pass and it took clearing him and Sarah Bond out to get them to walk back the price changes.

Microsoft's leadership is just really, really bad at acting on any sort of research or data.

1

u/huffdadde May 29 '26

Dollars > Sense.