Microsoft is intensifying its push for employees to adopt internal artificial intelligence tools, making usage a potential factor in staff performance evaluations. Developer division president Julia Liuson recently instructed managers via an internal email to begin assessing employees based on their engagement with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence resources, underscoring that the technology has become central to daily operations. Liuson emphasized, ´Using artificial intelligence is no longer optional — it is now core to every role and every level,´ positioning the technology alongside skills like collaboration and data-driven analysis.
The company’s approach is not uniform across teams, but discussions are underway to incorporate a formal metric on artificial intelligence tool usage into the upcoming cycle of performance reviews, according to individuals familiar with the matter. This move targets lagging adoption rates for Microsoft’s own Copilot artificial intelligence services, with leadership seeking to ensure not only wider internal usage but also that the teams developing these technologies have a firsthand understanding of the tools they build. The push reflects a recognition that authentic usage is vital if Microsoft wants employees to serve as effective ambassadors and contributors to its artificial intelligence strategy.
Liuson´s division, responsible for products such as GitHub Copilot, faces increasing competition from outside artificial intelligence code-completion offerings such as Cursor. Microsoft employees are permitted to use select external artificial intelligence tools that pass security requirements; for example, the code assistant Replit is allowed, according to insiders. The evolving landscape is also influencing negotiations with OpenAI, as intellectual property from emerging competitors like Windsurf factors into ongoing partnership talks. A recent Barclays note cited evidence that Cursor has surpassed GitHub Copilot in important developer segments, adding urgency to Microsoft’s campaign for widespread internal engagement with its own artificial intelligence products.
