Microsoft AI's design head has an 'AI deadline' for her entire team: Every person in the studio will become…

Microsoft AI's vice president of design has set an ambitious target for her 200-person team: achieve complete AI fluency before the company's fiscal year concludes. Liz Danzico revealed the goal during Fortune's Brainstorm Design conference in Macau, marking a significant push toward AI integration within one of tech's newest laboratories.

The initiative comes as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed earlier this year that AI now generates between 20% and 30% of Microsoft's code, with that percentage "going up steadily." Speaking at Meta's LlamaCon developer event, Nadella emphasized how deeply AI has penetrated the company's technical operations. Microsoft AI, which oversees consumer products including the Copilot chatbot powered by OpenAI's models, launched just over a year ago under CEO Mustafa Suleyman's leadership.

Microsoft developed an internal training program to drive workplace transformation

Danzico developed an internal AI course specifically for her design and research team, receiving what she described as a "tremendously positive" response. The training aims to address worker concerns while building practical skills with AI tools.

The transformation aligns with Nadella's emphasis on emotional intelligence in the AI era. In a recent conversation with Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner on the "MD Meets" podcast, Nadella argued that technical intelligence alone won't suffice as AI handles more complex tasks. "IQ has a place, but it's not the only thing that's needed in the world," Nadella said. "I've always felt, at least leaders, if you just have IQ without EQ, it's just a waste of IQ."

Nadella stressed that empathy isn't merely a soft skill but an essential business capability, particularly as AI automates technical work. He also highlighted the growing importance of workplace collaboration and social intelligence, calling the office "the best collaboration tool" for fostering human connection.

Workers in Danzico's team have reportedly become "less fearful and anxious" after experimenting with multiple AI platforms, while feeling "more satisfied and energized" about AI possibilities. The hands-on approach appears to be reducing resistance while building confidence.The upskilling push comes as Microsoft navigates a broader workforce transformation. The company has cut up to 9,000 jobs this year, representing approximately 4% of its 228,000-strong global workforce, as it redirects resources toward AI infrastructure. Microsoft is investing $80 billion in data centers to train AI models, with divisions including its Xbox gaming unit affected by the restructuring. The company has initiated multiple redundancy rounds in 2025, including 6,000 positions eliminated in May.