Microsoft has a new Clippy and it's an AI friend named Mico. At the company Autumn dismissal of the co-pilot The company rolled out a number of new features and updates to its AI chatbot at a press conference on Thursday, but the signal that showed how the tech giant intended to bring AI to consumers was the official unveiling of the AI chatbot's “face” — an expressive avatar blob named Mico.
Business explains that Mico (its name is a nod to “Microsoft Copilot”) is intended to offer consumers a “warm” and “customizable” visual experience that “listen, respond, and even change colors to reflect your interactions.”
If the talking AI helper immediately brings to mind Microsoft's infamous productivity assistant, Clippy, you're not wrong to think that way. It seems that Microsoft has decided to adopt a reference to its age-old companion, since it even exists Easter egg where if you tap Mico several times this will happen transform at Clippy.
This feature is enabled by default when using Copilot voice mode, but users can disable it if they wish. Initially available in the US, Canada and the UK, it allows you to save conversation memories and learn from user feedback, Microsoft says.
Learn Live Mode for US users can turn Copilot into a teacher who guides you through concepts rather than just giving you answers. The company notes that it has made other improvements in areas such as health issues and detailed research.
“When we build this, we're not chasing engagement or optimizing screen time. We're building artificial intelligence that brings you back to life. It deepens human connections. It earns your trust.” he wrote Microsoft Ai CEO Mustafa Suleyman in the announcement.
Microsoft isn't the only chatbot maker anthropomorphizing its artificial intelligence. For example, market leader ChatGPT also offers a visual experience with many different voice options. Meanwhile, Grok xAI turned its AI into risky AI companions. In app stores, AI companion apps are already attracting millions, indicating that there is some degree of consumer demand for AI characters.
However, time will tell whether consumers will respond to Mico's floating blob.
The company says it is also working to evolve Copilot's personality and tone, introducing a new mode called “Real Talk.” This will ensure that the AI will reflect the user's conversational style, but will not be as flattering as other AI assistants. Instead, Microsoft says it will feel like something “based on your own perspective” that will push back and challenge your ideas, which may encourage you to see things from a different point of view.
Finding the balance between helpful, conversational AI and one that leads users down rabbit holes has proven difficult. Several AI incidents chatbot psychosis Cases have been reported where AI users had their delusional beliefs reinforced by talking to a chatbot.
Copilot's fall update introduced a number of other new features to Microsoft's AI, including the ability to invite friends to Copilot AI chats, support for long-term storage, connectors to connect productivity apps like email and cloud storage, and expanded AI integration with Microsoft Edge.
The company says it is working to evolve Edge into an artificial intelligence browser that will be able to view your cards, summarize and compare information, and take actions for you, such as booking a hotel or filling out forms. This would allow Edge to compete with other AI browsers including OpenAI's ChatGPT Atlas, Perplexity's Comet, Dia and others, as well as market leader Chrome, which has integrated its Gemini AI.
