Microsoft has replaced dozens of journalists with artificial intelligence software.
Journalists who worked on the news home pages on Microsoft’s MSN website and its Edge browser have been told that their services will no longer be required because robots can perform their jobs.
This means that around 27 journalists employed by PA Media were told that they will lose their jobs in a month’s time.
The robots will be used to select, edit, and curate news articles on their home pages.
According to the Guardian, the employees were told Microsoft’s decision to end PA Media contract is part of a global shift away from humans in favour of automated updates for news.
One staff member who spoke to the Guardian said: “I spend all my time reading about how automation and AI is going to take all our jobs, and here I am – AI has taken my job.”
But the individual said that the decision to replace humans with software is risky since humans are careful to follow very strict editorial guidelines.
