Microsoft has laid off around 817 software engineers in Washington state, accounting for over 40% of the total redundancies in the region. The layoffs are part of a broader cost-cutting effort and investment shift into AI, with other heavily affected roles including product management, technical program management, business program management, customer experience program management, and product design.
https://www.techradar.com/pro/programmers-bore-the-brunt-of-microsofts-layoffs-in-its-home-stateMicrosoft's Build 2025, its largest developer event of the year, is set to begin on May 19 in Seattle, USA. The four-day conference will focus on AI, cloud technologies, and Windows updates. Microsoft is expected to unveil new tools for developers and provide updates to its Copilot platform. The opening keynote starts at 9 AM PT (9:30 PM IST) and can be livestreamed for free on Microsoft's official Build website and YouTube channel.
https://indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/microsoft-build-2025-kicks-off-tonight-how-to-watch-livestream-and-what-to-expect-2727139-2025-05-19Elon Musk is partnering with Grok AI as part of a new collaboration, despite suing Microsoft. The partnership aims to advance software development. Musk's lawsuit against Microsoft was not mentioned in the context of this partnership.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/article/elon-musk-whos-suing-microsoft-is-also-software-giants-special-guest-in-new-grok-ai-partnership/Razer is introducing a high-performance gaming laptop featuring the company's Copilot+ CPU paired with an Nvidia GPU. This combination enables compatibility with Windows 11's AI-powered features, such as Recall, which should be disabled during initial setup to ensure optimal performance.
https://gizmodo.com/razer-thins-out-the-blade-14-and-fattens-the-price-tag-2000604126The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Llama Productions, a company affiliated with Fortnite, alleging they replaced human performers with AI technology without notice or bargaining. The union is concerned that this shift makes human voice actors obsolete, particularly those who previously worked on iconic roles like Darth Vader's rhythm and tone in video games. Despite the ongoing Interactive Media Agreement strike, which focuses on AI protections for voice actors in video games, SAG-AFTRA has found a loophole allowing actors to work on Fortnite without violating the strike due to its pre-August 2023 production status.
https://gizmodo.com/fortnite-ai-darth-vader-sag-aftra-dispute-2000604222Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has warned that the increasing use of AI tools and LLMs in the workplace could disrupt IT jobs, potentially impacting software engineers' job security and salaries. He notes that automation may take over parts of software development, affecting the livelihoods of developers who currently earn high salaries.
https://indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/zoho-founder-says-ai-will-impact-it-jobs-software-engineers-cant-take-high-salaries-for-granted-2727136-2025-05-19A proposed bill aims to address concerns about the AI Council's impact on small businesses and consumers in Texas. The bill suggests that if not renewed by the legislature by 2030, the council would be sunsetted. To pass, the bill requires specific fixes, including capping the budget, exempting open-source and small businesses from enforcement overreach, and tying enforcement to actual consumer harm rather than theoretical risks.
https://reason.com/2025/05/19/texas-could-blow-its-shot-at-leading-the-ai-revolution/The Chinese government has accused the Trump administration of undermining recent trade talks with Geneva by warning that using Huawei Technologies Co.'s artificial-intelligence chips "anywhere in the world" would violate US export controls. The Commerce Department had previously stated that such use would be a breach of US export controls, sparking concerns about the impact on ongoing trade negotiations.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/china-accuses-us-of-undermining-geneva-talks-with-huawei-stanceThree Democratic state lawmakers, Monique Priestley of Vermont, Alex Bores of New York, and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan of California, are taking a proactive approach to tech regulation by introducing legislation in their respective states. This move is seen as a response to the lack of progress in federal regulations, with Congress struggling to pass meaningful laws. The lawmakers' efforts aim to shape the future of Big Tech, with a focus on issues such as data privacy and AI governance.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/artificial-intelligence/three-state-lawmakers-shaping-tech-ai-rules-as-congress-dawdles-60