Xbox Boss Asha Sharma Joins US Federal Reserve’s AI Advisory Team

Big news in the gaming world! Asha Sharma, who recently took the helm as CEO of Xbox, has been selected by the US government to lend her expertise to the Federal Reserve. Her role will focus on the influence of artificial intelligence on the economy, which is a hot topic these days.

According to a press release from the government, the Federal Reserve has set up five taskforces, each led by a group of external advisors like Sharma. These teams will offer insights and rigorous analyses to help shape economic policy in critical areas such as Communications, Balance Sheet Policy, Data, Inflation, and, notably, Productivity and Jobs—Sharma’s assignment.

The Fed has handpicked accomplished individuals, including seasoned economists and leaders from various industries, to lead these initiatives. Sharma’s team will specifically look into how emerging technologies, like AI, are affecting the economy. It’s an exciting yet challenging role for her, given she’s only been in charge of Xbox for a short while.

What makes this news particularly intriguing is the timing. Just this week, Sharma announced significant layoffs at Xbox, with 3,200 positions set to go by the end of the fiscal year 2027 as part of a brand “reset.” So, it’s a bit surprising to see her juggling this advisory role alongside such major company changes.

Before stepping into her current position, Sharma was the president of Microsoft’s CoreAI product group, which likely equipped her with the knowledge and skills that caught the Federal Reserve’s attention.

As Xbox navigates these layoffs and shifts in strategy, Sharma’s dual role in the tech and economic sectors could bring some interesting perspectives to both fields.