Microsoft Mandates Daily AI Use for King Employees Following Layoffs
Bruno Pferd 
Key Takeaways
Created with AI - we're still experimenting, so apologies if it misses the mark
- AI integration is mandatory for all King employees by 2025, with the goal of achieving 100% daily usage.
- Microsofts push for AI adoption at King includes applications in narrative development, testing, and phase design.
- Concerns have been raised about a toxic work environment at King, including shielding of certain managers during investigations and a perceived focus on silencing critical voices by HR.
- There are fears that Kings workforce may be overinflated, suggesting the possibility of more layoffs in the future.
AI Integration Mandatory for All King Employees by 2025 amid Layoffs and Work Environment Concerns
Microsoft’s July layoffs impacted 200 employees at King, the studio behind Candy Crush. Concurrently, King now requires its team to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their daily tasks, a development reported by MobileGamer.biz. This AI initiative, in progress for some time, initially targeted 70-80% daily AI usage by 2024. The goal was subsequently increased to 100% by 2025, meaning all employees—including artists, designers, developers, and managers—are expected to use AI daily. An internal Microsoft memo confirmed plans to roll out more AI-powered productivity tools, anticipating that many jobs will be replaced by these tools. King’s AI strategy specifically includes applications in narrative development, testing, and phase design. Despite this push, MobileGamer.biz’s sources indicate that AI adoption, beyond ChatGPT, remains low. Even King’s leadership has expressed reservations about the studio’s full embrace of AI. Beyond the recent layoffs, King employees describe a toxic work environment. They report that certain managers are shielded despite repeated investigations, and Human Resources prioritizes silencing critical voices over addressing core issues. As one employee stated, “HR is in fact a complete failure, full of incompetent people protecting the status quo of equally incompetent leadership.”
AI Layoffs Loom for King’s Overinflated Workforce Amidst Uncertain Future with Mandatory AI Use
Furthermore, multiple internal sources believe King’s workforce is still overinflated, suggesting that more layoffs may be on the horizon. With these new AI mandates now in place for all employees, the remaining staff face an uncertain future amidst a climate of distrust.
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About the Author
Carlos Mendoza 
Jonathan Dubinski 
Marcus Thompson 
