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Summary
The podcast discusses the state of technology jobs, Microsoft's recent layoffs and the use of AI in software engineering. The speaker shares personal experiences and speculation on the changes in Microsoft's culture and what it means for experienced engineers. The podcast ends by highlighting the importance of understanding and innovating in engineering beyond what AI can suggest.

Transcription
Welcome to Progressive Geeks podcast, where we break down the latest in technology, current events and occasionally question whether our robot overlords are making us obsolete. I'm the progressive geek, your host, and today we're diving deep into the state of tech jobs. Microsoft's massive layoffs and the rise of AI and software engineering. Spoiler alert. If you're an experienced engineer, you might want to hold on to your chair because things are getting messy. Microsoft's changing culture. Let's rewind a bit. Microsoft hasn't always been the friendliest place to work. Back in the late 90s, it was ruthless, dog eat dog survival of the fittest kind of energy. But when I rejoined as a full time employee in 2018, things had changed. Inclusivity was a priority and the team culture actually felt welcoming. Fast forward to today. It seems the old Microsoft is creeping back in, but this time, instead of jockeying for a higher position in the employee ranking system, employees of being ranked with AI. The layoffs. What's really going on? Microsoft recently laid off over 6000 employees, including nearly 2000in Washington state. Officially, it's about efficiency, flattening management layers, creating nimble teams. But let's be real nimble teams might just be corporate speak for age discrimination. Microsoft isn't the only company using this reasoning. Starbucks and Amazon have done the same thing, framing job cuts as organizational improvements. According to The Seattle Times, Microsoft is spending $80 billion on AI infrastructure, raising serious questions about whether experienced engineers are being pushed out to justify investments. And trust me, I've got personal experience here. I was let go earlier this year after nearly 20 years at Microsoft. My termination was initially framed as performance based, but looking at what's happened since then, it's hard not to see it as part of something bigger. How I played a role in my exit. I has officially entered the engineering space with Copilot, analyzing new code before it gets added to software projects, catching simple errors and suggesting improvements. Sometimes it was helpful, sometimes it was way off base. But here's the kicker I wasn't doing deep refactoring or solving real engineering challenges. However, it was learning from experienced engineers like me. And yet those experienced engineers, they're the ones being cut. Instead, companies seem to think that hiring fresh grads and handing them AI tools will magically create strong engineering teams. Let me tell you, no amount of AI can replace decades of experience, like the time I took a massive code file under the lines long and refactored it down to under 100 lines. My colleagues thought it was amazing. Copilot wouldn't have pulled that off. Even inside Microsoft, people felt the weight of these layoffs. Scott Hanselman, vice president of developer community, summed it up perfectly in a LinkedIn post, saying it was a day with a lot of tears. These are people with dreams and rent, and I love them and I want them to be okay. That doesn't sound like strategic restructuring. That sounds like a company losing valuable talent in an unnecessary AI rush. What this means for the future. So here's the real question what happens next? Is I actually enhancing engineers or is it just fueling layoffs? Are companies undervaluing experience, expecting AI to fill the gaps? And if tech giants like Microsoft are leading this shift, what does that mean for engineering jobs in the future? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. A little tech humor for the road. Before we. Up, up. Let's add some jaded humor to lighten the mood. Microsoft says it's making teams more nimble. Translation fewer engineers weighing them down with things like experience and competence. Step one train AI on senior engineers. Code step two. Fire senior engineers. Step three. Pray AI doesn't rewrite itself into oblivion. Things I can't replace. That one engineer who knows the ancient system nobody wants to touch. I can only suggest deleting it. Which, let's be honest, might actually be correct. Closing thoughts. We're in uncharted territory, folks. AI is here. The workforce is shifting and experience engineers. Well, we're being asked to quietly step aside. But here's the thing. Real engineering isn't just about writing code. It's about understanding it. Improving it and innovating beyond what an algorithm can suggest. Thanks for tuning in to Progressive Geeks podcast. I appreciate you being here.