Microsoft closes employee library, moves staff to AI 'Skilling Hub'

Kotaku reports Microsoft is closing its onsite employee library, housed in building 92, and cutting some news subscriptions in favor of "AI-powered learning experiences" delivered through a Skilling Hub.

The company’s onsite collection was allegedly so heavy it was once blamed for cracking pillars in an underground parking lot. The change has reportedly removed access for Microsoft’s roughly 220,000 employees to checking out digital business books and to news publications such as The Information. An internal FAQ says, "The Library closed as part of Microsoft’s move toward a more modern, connected learning experience through the Skilling Hub" and adds, "We know this change affects a space many people valued."

The shift comes amid Microsoft’s wider push into AI tools; a company spokesperson told media outlets, "Copilot combines information from multiple web sources into a single response with linked citations. It informs users they are interacting with an AI system and encourages them to review the sources." It is unclear whether Copilot will underpin the new learning experiences or what other information sources employees will be asked to consult. As the writer Ray Bradbury once told the Seattle Times, "You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them."

Key Topics

Tech, Microsoft, Skilling Hub, Copilot, Ray Bradbury, Large Language Models