Microsoft’s massive outage puts its AI-driven layoffs under scrutiny

Microsoft’s massive service outage on Thursday left businesses and government agencies scrambling to access critical services. It also came at an awkward moment for the tech giant, which has undertaken an extensive initiative to reduce its workforce even as it pours billions of dollars into artificial intelligence. Microsoft’s recent efforts to trim its head count included extending buyout offers to 9,000 U.S. employees in April and 60,000 employees in four countries in October. It also laid...