Following billions in AI investments last fiscal year , Microsoft announced Monday that it is offering buyouts to roughly 60,000 employees, about a quarter of its workforce, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC . The voluntary exit offer applies to staff at experience level 70 or below across the US, Canada, India and the UK.

According to Microsoft, the move is tailored to give “eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support.” Microsoft didn’t say how many employee buyouts it will accept, though it’s likely fewer than those offered the deal. The company didn’t immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.

The move comes a few months after Microsoft reported it invested about $116 billion in property and equipment — largely for cloud and AI data-center capacity — in the 2026 fiscal year, about $50 billion more compared with the 2025 fiscal year.…