A group of current and former Microsoft employees has circulated an open letter criticising the company's aggressive push into artificial intelligence, raising concerns over employee workloads, job security, customer safety and the environmental impact of AI infrastructure.

The letter, signed by “Concerned Microsoft Workers”, accuses Microsoft of pursuing AI with a “speed-at-all-costs” approach and calls for employees to have a greater say in how AI is developed and deployed. The development was first reported by The New York Times.

The employees said Microsoft's workplace had become increasingly demoralising amid heavy AI investments, repeated reorganisations, rising workloads and concerns that AI could eventually replace jobs.

They also objected to what they described as pressure to use AI tools across their work without adequate training or a clear explanation of their benefits. According to the letter, employees often have to spend additional time correcting AI-generated output or reverting to older systems when new tools fail to deliver the expected productivity gains.

The group is calling on Microsoft to stop linking employees' use of AI tools to performance rewards or disciplinary measures and to involve workers in decisions around AI deployment.

The letter also raises concerns beyond the workplace, including user safety, Microsoft's data-centre expansion and the environmental costs of its AI infrastructure. The employees urged the company to reaffirm its commitments to becoming carbon negative, water positive and zero waste by 2030.

Microsoft had offered voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees, or more than a quarter of its global workforce, across the US, Canada, India and the UK.

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