According to information circulating online, hundreds of employees from Microsoft China’s AI team are being “packed up” to leave China. Microsoft responded by saying that a small portion of employees have been offered the opportunity for “international rotation”, and the notion of “packing up for the US” is exaggerated.
On May 15th, several netizens on social media platforms like Maimai and Xiaohongshu disclosed that hundreds of employees from Microsoft China, mainly from the Azure cloud platform AI team, received an email from the company inquiring whether they would be willing to relocate to other regions such as the United States, Australia, Ireland, etc. The move may involve hundreds of employees. The company will handle visa issues for family members, and employees are required to respond by June 7th.
An employee of Microsoft confirmed to The Paper that the situation is true. News about the overseas relocation consultation came out on May 14th, catching some employees off guard. Some staff suddenly received emails about moving to work overseas and were asked to respond by June 7th whether they would go or not. “Everyone was quite puzzled,” as there were no prior indications. Particularly for employees with families, there are “more factors to consider.” Some colleagues view this as a form of “hidden layoffs”. While choosing not to go is an option, it has raised concerns about the future for those staying with the company.
Reports indicate that Microsoft China’s C+AI ML team can move to Seattle in the US, Azure team to Australia, and DevDiv (Development Division) will remain unchanged.
A relative of a user in Microsoft Azure ML (Machine Learning) told The Paper that their team was relocated to Australia, involving over 300 people in online meetings, including employees from Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou. “Two people discussed all night until 3 am, without reaching a conclusion. Let’s see how it goes.”
Another source close to Microsoft revealed that hundreds of people affiliated with the AI business in the Azure ML and Azure Core teams have been given the opportunity to be “packed up” and sent abroad to countries like the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The destinations are designated and not open for random selection.
A user told Yicai that the team where their family member works is responsible for AI-related businesses and the email they received indicated that the entire team would be moving to Ireland, with employees having the option to decline.
Following the circulation of these related reports online, Microsoft later responded to reporters from “21st Century Economic Report” that only a small number of employees have been given the opportunity for international rotation. Employees can choose to accept the rotation or continue working in their current positions. Microsoft clarified that previous rumors about “packing up for the US” were exaggerated and inaccurate.