Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has spoken publicly for the first time about the company's recent decision to cut around 6,000 jobs, roughly three per cent of its global workforce, confirming the layoffs were part of a larger strategic shift rather than a critique of employee performance.

In a companywide town hall meeting, Nadella addressed the emotional weight of the decision, describing it as “painful but necessary.” He clarified that the restructuring was driven by Microsoft’s evolving focus on artificial intelligence (AI), and that the job cuts were intended to better align teams with the company’s long-term priorities.

“This wasn’t about performance. It’s about priorities,” Nadella told employees, according to internal reports cited by Business Insider.

The layoffs have notably affected engineering teams — traditionally considered secure in the tech sector — suggesting a significant shift in how technology companies are approaching product development in the age of AI. By reshaping engineering functions, Microsoft is signalling that the integration of AI technologies is not only a top-line strategy but also a foundational shift in how teams are structured.

Alongside Nadella’s remarks, Microsoft’s Chief Commercial Officer Judson Althoff shared details about the company's growing AI momentum, particularly around its flagship product, Microsoft Copilot. Speaking during the same internal event, Althoff revealed that UK banking giant Barclays had committed to purchasing 100,000 licences of Microsoft Copilot, a substantial endorsement of the tool's enterprise potential.

Other global powerhouses — including Accenture, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Siemens — have also surpassed the 100,000-user mark for Copilot within their respective organisations, Althoff added. These figures demonstrate the accelerating adoption of AI productivity tools across industries, driven by Microsoft's assertive enterprise sales strategy.

Copilot, which carries a list price of $30 per user per month, is fast becoming a significant revenue stream. While actual revenue numbers are likely tempered by volume discounts and negotiated pricing, the scale of adoption suggests potential annual revenues in the tens of millions of dollars per client. The company is now focused not just on adoption, but on the depth of integration — tracking how many users actively use Copilot in their day-to-day operations.

“What matters isn’t just who has Copilot, but how they use it,” Nadella reportedly said, according to Business Insider.

The remarks underscore Microsoft’s shift toward enterprise AI as a core business growth driver. The company appears to be doubling down on AI-enabled tools, even if it means shrinking other parts of the workforce to streamline operations and fund its forward-looking priorities.