this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2025
57 points (100.0% liked)

TechTakes

2033 readers
236 users here now

Big brain tech dude got yet another clueless take over at HackerNews etc? Here's the place to vent. Orange site, VC foolishness, all welcome.

This is not debate club. Unless it’s amusing debate.

For actually-good tech, you want our NotAwfulTech community

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
top 17 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] HedyL@awful.systems 28 points 2 days ago

Stock markets generally love layoffs, and they appear to love AI at the moment. To be honest, I'm not sure they thought beyond that.

[–] BlueMonday1984@awful.systems 20 points 2 days ago (3 children)

This is pure speculation, but I get the feeling Microsoft's gonna significantly downsize, if not collapse, by the decade's end.

This recent move's gonna kneecap Microsoft's ability to function as a company, and their heavy investment into AI mean they'll likely take the brunt of the impact when the bubble bursts.

[–] Hirom@beehaw.org 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This does sounds like doubling down on a bet.

[–] BlueMonday1984@awful.systems 11 points 2 days ago

As a matter of fact, someone's noted Ed Zitron had called this back in September:

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That's fine, they had a "make money by stepping over morals" philosophy from the very start.

[–] diz@awful.systems 4 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

That philosophy always ends in stepping into dogshit to try to boost stock prices.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Yeah, it's not sustainable long-term, but they're not in for it long-term anyway.

[–] mii@awful.systems 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

There’s something I’ve been wondering about: is the management (of not just Microsoft but really any company who’s pivoting to AI this hard, so also Duolingo and Klarna, &c.) really convinced that there’s going to be a foom event soon and the chatbots become capable enough to actually do the work they attribute to them? Or do Nadella and friends know this is all bullshit and just play along until they can’t anymore and leave the sinking ship?

I honestly can’t tell anymore.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

My take is that the Silicon Valley overlords live in a bubble, where they believe that.

[–] fullsquare@awful.systems 13 points 2 days ago

but does the prospect of mass human sacrifice please The Line?

[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 days ago (3 children)

What is that title even that doesnt

[–] Stovetop@lemmy.world 19 points 2 days ago

Microsoft lays off the staff who make the money (which is used) to fund AI that doesn’t (make money).

[–] gerikson@awful.systems 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's English, but British, Jim.

[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 0 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Tried saying it in a British accent, it didn't help.

[–] gerikson@awful.systems 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If you don't get it, LLMs don't either, and David's work here is done.

[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 days ago

Thanks David. I really enjoy your tea