In a major shift toward agentic AI, Microsoft has announced a voluntary 7% workforce buyout, allowing employees to leave with severance as the company reallocates capital toward AI infrastructure and product development.
The move comes alongside a string of AI-focused announcements from the tech giant, including the launch of GPT-5.5 and GPT-5.5 Pro in Microsoft Foundry, enabling enterprise customers to deploy the latest OpenAI models at scale.
Microsoft also revealed a massive $25 billion (Australian dollars) investment in Azure AI infrastructure and skilling programs in Australia, spearheaded by CEO Satya Nadella. The investment underscores Microsoft's commitment to expanding its cloud and AI footprint in the region.
Other key updates from the April 19–25 weekly briefing include:
- Copilot Agent Mode reaching General Availability in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, allowing the AI to actively execute tasks within documents.
- Azure.AI.Projects 2.0.0 and Java AI Agents 2.0.0 achieving GA, providing developers with a stable platform for building complex AI workflows.
- Microsoft 365 E7 (Frontier Suite) and Agent 365 preparing for a May rollout, signaling the company's push into premium AI-powered productivity tools.
These developments signal Microsoft's aggressive bet on agentic AI, where AI systems not only assist but autonomously perform multi-step tasks. The workforce buyout, while voluntary, reflects a strategic pivot toward more automated and AI-driven operations.