Xbox manager deletes X account after saying developers who reject AI should leave industry

Xbox senior business strategy manager Brandon Stirrup has deleted his X account less than 24 hours after defending the use of artificial intelligence in game development and saying developers who reject the technology should not be in the business.

Stirrup posted a series of messages on October 18, claiming that AI could make game development accessible to anyone.

According to PC Gamer, an Xbox source said he deactivated his account because of the volume of replies he was receiving.

Stirrup began his thread by explaining that he had used AI to create what he described as a “bad but improvable game” over two days, although he had actively worked on it for around three hours.

“I'm telling you I tried it and it's true…anyone can build a game,” he wrote.

He subsequently criticised developers and studios that were not incorporating AI into their strategies, describing their approach as “planning for a fake future”.

Stirrup also acknowledged the potential consequences of speaking publicly about the issue, writing, “Look if I'm fired tomorrow it will be because I told you the truth that nobody wants you to know.”

He added that Xbox was already using AI and argued that the company should be open about its adoption of the technology.

“I'm happy to take the hit if it means hundreds at Xbox can stop pretending that they're not using AI. It's time to accept and move forward,” he wrote.

In another post, Stirrup stated, “If you're a game designer refusing to believe that AI has a place in your future, you should not be in the business of being a business.”

AI adoption has become an increasingly prominent topic across the gaming industry. Epic Games chief executive Tim Sweeney recently discussed reorganising developers to accelerate AI use, while Xbox has introduced its Xbox Labs programme to explore emerging technologies.

Stirrup has also previously encouraged employees affected by Xbox layoffs to use Microsoft's Copilot to organise their performance reviews into structured records of their skills and accomplishments.

His X account deactivation followed the reaction to his comments, although available information does not indicate that his employment status has changed.