Microsoft is working hard on an AI chatbot for Xbox, but don't get your hopes up for a Copilot-like experience. Instead, the new Xbox chatbot will serve as a support assistant that'll help with all kinds of console issues and even assist with giving refunds to players who bought a game they no longer want.
Is it the most exciting chatbot in a world where OpenAI is creating bots that can make songs and write entire stories? Not really, but the Xbox chatbot does sound helpful in automating some of the support processes you must go through with Microsoft's gaming console.
Xbox Support Virtual Agent
According to sources close to the development quoted by The Verge, Microsoft is testing an "embodied AI character" that will animate while responding to support queries from Xbox players. It's not going to generate a new video game out of thin air, but if your console is acting up, it could be easier to ask the AI questions than searching through seemingly endless support documents for what you need to know.
In an internal Microsoft document seen by The Verge, the company said, "This agent can help you with your Xbox support questions." It doesn't sound like the helpful AI will have a clever name. Instead, Microsoft is going to call it "Xbox Support Virtual Agent." Its name is just as exciting as the bot's overall purpose, but it gets the point across well enough.
This isn't a rumor, as Microsoft confirmed that its support chatbot exists to The Verge, though the company didn't say when gamers could expect to interact with the bot on their console of choice.
"We are testing an Xbox Support Virtual Agent, an internal prototype of an animated character that can query Xbox Support topics with voice or text," says Haiyan Zhang, general manager of gaming AI at Xbox, in a statement. "The prototype makes it easier and quicker for players to get help with support topics using natural language, taking information from existing Xbox Support pages."
The bot will be able to help with issues ranging from a broken Xbox to helping resolve issues with paid subscriptions. However, if the Xbox isn't working, it'll be tough to use the console to interact with the bot, but there are different broken levels, after all.
Other Xbox AI
According to the report, Microsoft is also considering building AI-powered Copilots for safety and moderation tasks that could help create a more pleasant place for players. These Copilots could help with content moderation, enforcement, and the appeals processes.
Even further down the road, Microsoft is apparently working on adding AI-powered assistants into games, which could be a game-changer for helping players during gameplay sessions.
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