Dozens of journalists have been fired after Microsoft decided to replace them with artificial intelligence software i.e robots.
The staff that worked at Microsoft's MSN website and its Edge browser were told that they will no longer be needed because robots can now do their jobs.
About 27 people were hired by PA Media were told on Thursday that they will lose their jobs within a month because Microsoft has decided stopped to stop hire humans to curate and edit its homepage.
Employees were told that the decision to terminate Microsoft's contract with PA Media was taken in short notice as it was part of a global shift from humans to automatic updates to the news.
A staff member working on the team said 'I spend all my time reading how automation and AI take all our jobs, and here I am an A.I has taken my job.'
The individual added that the decision to replace humans with software was risky, as the current staff was careful to adhere to "extremely strict editorial guidelines" to ensure that users were violent or inappropriate when opening browsers. The content was not presented, this is very important for underage users.
The staff at Microsoft's website didn't report the stories themselves but utilized editorial control selected stories from different news websites and altered the text and titles to improve content the articles were then facilitated on Microsoft's website, in which the tech organization shared the cut of the revenue with the publishers.
Highlighting interesting articles from small shops, spreading political opinions, and avoiding unreliable stories, the handwriting of news stories also ensured that the headlines were clear and appropriate for the format.
Now the journalists who are facing redundancy have a long experience in the industry, while for others it was a one-stop-shop at the door and a job offer in an industry that has seen a wave after wave of decline.
Now that the entire industry is trying to cut costs, they face a daunting challenge to find employment elsewhere. Other teams around the world are expected to be impressed by Microsoft's decision to automate the preparation of their news sites.
Together with other news organizations, PA Media is facing severe financial challenges and has had to cut some staff and ask others to reduce their salaries. The company has expanded beyond its traditional news agency business, having recently bought the stock image business shortly before epidemics devastated the media industry.
'We are in the process of disbanding the Microsoft team at PA, and we are doing everything we can to help those involved in the field. But we are proud of our work and know that we have offered a high-quality service.' A company spokesperson said.
'Like all companies, we are constantly reviewing our business, this results in increased investment in some areas and re-deployment in others from time to time, these decisions are not influenced by the current epidemic.' The company spokesperson added.
Many tech firms are experimenting with the use of artificial intelligence in journalism, with companies like Google investing huge amounts of money in this area. Although efforts to automate the writing of articles are widespread are not yet possible.
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