The New Head Of Xbox Is Worried About Birthrates, But Says AI Will Save Us

After the shock resignation of Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond from Xbox last week, the gaming world is trying to work out what comes next under new leader Asha Sharma. Sharma, whose background is in AI rather than gaming, drew attention for comments she made on a podcast five months ago about whether her son "will have classmates in the future." On that podcast she said fertility rates are declining: "the average birthrate in the ’90s when we were growing up was, like, 3, and now it’s 2.3, and in 2050 it’s estimated to be below replacement." She added, "I think that AI can have such a big effect on it, and already is," and gave examples, citing a hospital in London using AI to improve IVF success, the "amazing story" of ChatGPT 5 "helping in healthcare," and Stanford using AI for "tumor reviews." The article argues the causes of any falling birthrate are multifactorial and "almost certainly primarily about income." In the affluent 1990s people felt able to afford two or three children; in the 2020s that prospect is far more costly.

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