Microsoft is reportedly laying off at least 50 news production workers and replacing them with artificial intelligence (AI) — based algorithms to perform their editorial duties. According to a report in the Seattle Times on Saturday, roughly 50 employees have been notified “that their services would no longer be needed beyond June 30”. These news production contractors work with Microsoft News, the company’s news content arm that operates MSN.com and other properties. Some employees told Seattle Times that “MSN will use AI to replace the production work they’d been doing”. Besides the production work, the contract employees also planned content, maintained the editorial calendars of partner news websites and assigned content to them.

Source: The Hindu May 31, 2020 04:42 UTC