Microsoft announced significant leadership changes within its gaming division on Friday, with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Xbox President Sarah Bond both departing the company.
Spencer will be succeeded by Asha Sharma, a former executive from Instacart and Meta, whose most recent role was president of Microsoft’s CoreAI product. These appointments indicate that Microsoft may be intensifying its efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into video games.
The company has already explored combining AI and gaming, exemplified by the development of an AI gaming companion and the release of a flawed, AI-generated level for “Quake II.”
Indeed, in an internal memo published by The Verge, Sharma stated that Microsoft “will invent new business models and new ways to play,” and that “monetization and AI” will both “evolve and influence this future.” Concurrently, she emphasized that the company “will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop.”
“Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us,” Sharma added.
This statement is one of three “commitments” Sharma articulated in her memo. The other pledges include creating “great games beloved by players” and prioritizing the Xbox brand.