Microsoft announced a major gaming shakeup on Friday, with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer leaving the company along with Xbox president Sarah Bond.
Spencer will be replaced by former Instacart and Meta executive Asha Sharma. Combined with Sharma’s recent role as president of Microsoft’s CoreAI product, these moves suggest Microsoft may be doubling down on bringing AI to video games.
For example, the company was already experimenting with ways to combine AI and gaming Developing an AI gaming companion And Releasing a buggy, AI-generated level from “Quake II”.
In fact, in an internal memo Published by The VergeSharma wrote that Microsoft will “invent new business models and new ways to play” and that “monetization and AI” will both “evolve and influence this future.” At the same time, he said the company will not “pursue short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop.”
“Games are and will always be an art created by humans and created with the most innovative technology we have at our disposal,” Sharma said.
This is one of the three “commitments” made by Sharma in his memorandum. Others include creating “great games beloved by players” and prioritizing Xbox.
