Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 workers amid AI spending surge

Microsoft has offered voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees in selected units across the US, Canada, India and the UK, while it spends heavily on artificial intelligence and data centres. The offer follows job-cut announcements at American Express, Barclays, eBay and Netflix, though the reports do not prove AI alone is the cause. The pattern shows automation beginning to reshape employment and the organisation of society, raising questions about livelihood and dependence on a few technology firms.