Microsoft Gaming Division Head Pledges to Avoid AI-Generated Content

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Microsoft announced a major reshuffle of its gaming division on Friday local time, with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Xbox President Sarah Bond reportedly set to leave the company.

As Spencer’s replacement, Microsoft has appointed former Instacart and Meta executive Asha Sharma. Sharma previously served as President of CoreAI at Microsoft, where she led the development of the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) products, as reported by Tech Crunch on Saturday (21/2) local time.

Sharma’s appointment is seen as signalling a new direction for Microsoft, increasingly integrating AI into the gaming industry. The company had previously experimented with various AI adoption methods, including the development of AI-based gaming assistants and the launch of AI-generated levels for the classic game Quake II, which drew attention due to bug-related issues.

In an internal memo that was made public, Sharma stated that Microsoft would create new business models and new gaming experiences. She also said that monetisation and AI would continue to evolve and influence the future of the gaming industry.

Nevertheless, she affirmed that the company would not pursue short-term efficiencies by flooding the gaming ecosystem with AI content, which she described as low-quality and soulless. She also emphasised that games are fundamentally works of art made by humans.

“Games are and will always be art, designed by humans and created with the most innovative technology we provide,” she said.

Beyond commitments regarding AI, Sharma outlined two other key focuses: producing quality games that players want, and prioritising the strengthening of the Xbox platform amid the ever-changing dynamics of the industry.