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Xbox Head Suggests Laid-Off Employees Use AI To Deal With Emotions

• Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Matt Turnbull, executive producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, shared recommendations on LinkedIn for former Microsoft employees—including using AI to cope with emotions. The post was later deleted following backlash from users across multiple social media platforms.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

• An Xbox executive producer recommended that former employees use AI tools to process their emotions after Microsoft announced massive layoffs.
• Turnbull included prompts for former employees to use in their job search.
• The message sparked debate across multiple platforms and was ultimately deleted following backlash.

Turnbull aimed to support former workers after Microsoft announced plans to lay off 9,000 employees —around 4% of its workforce—with many affected roles in the gaming division. However, his message was poorly received, and the LinkedIn post sparked controversy across several online platforms.

The tech news site Aftermath published a screenshot of the post before it was deleted.

“These are really challenging times, and if you’re navigating a layoff or even quietly preparing for one, you’re not alone and you don’t have to go it alone,” wrote Turnbull. “I’ve been experimenting with ways to use LLM Al tools (like ChatGPT or Copilot) to help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss.”

Turnbull then shared several prompts for former employees to use in their job search, including topics related to emotional clarity.

“At a time when mental energy is scarce, these tools can help get you unstuck faster, calmer, and with more clarity,” added Turnbull. “If this helps, feel free to share with others in your network.”

The post was shared by multiple people on the social media platform X, went viral, and hundreds of users shared creative insults, calling the producer “not human” and to “read the room” before posting. “Xbox exec should use AI to find a heart because apparently they don’t own one,” wrote one user .

“I never understood how people could say stuff like this,” added another user . “You have to be ridiculously out-of-touch on a whole other level to post that at this time. I just don’t get how that’s possible.”

Microsoft’s recent layoffs are reportedly linked to the company’s focus on AI—which currently writes 30% of their code . According to the BBC , Microsoft has plans to invest $80 billion in data centers to train AI models.

Image by Rohan, from Unsplash

Bert Ransomware Strikes Healthcare and Tech Firms Worldwide

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Bert, a new ransomware group, is attacking healthcare and tech firms globally with fast, stealthy malware affecting both Windows and Linux systems.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

• Bert encrypts both Windows and Linux systems with multi-threaded execution.
• It disables security tools using PowerShell before executing payload.
• Newer versions encrypt files instantly, improving speed and damage.

A new ransomware group known as “Bert” is attacking organizations across Asia, Europe, and the United States, with confirmed victims in healthcare, technology, and event services, as reported on Monday by Trend Micro .

First identified in April, Bert has gained attention because of its fast development and its ability to attack multiple platforms, and ties to older ransomware groups like REvil.

The malware operates both on Windows and Linux platforms via a PowerShell script that disables security tools before executing the ransomware download. Victims receive a blunt message: “Hello from Bert! Your network is hacked and files are encrypted.”

The Trend Micro researchers describe the group’s code as basic yet powerful.On Linux, for example, Bert can use up to 50 threads to encrypt files quickly. It even shuts down ESXi virtual machines to maximize damage and make recovery harder. On Windows, it terminates processes tied to web servers and databases before encrypting data.

The ransomware adds “.encrypted_by_bert” as a file extension to encrypted files, while creating a ransom note that includes payment information. The analysis of multiple samples shows that Bert is continuously developing, where its latest versions encrypt the ransomware files immediately after detection instead of collecting file paths first.

Experts warn that Bert’s rise highlights how even basic malware can be dangerous when paired with stealthy techniques and strategic targeting.