Microsoft's Copilot could potentially return the gaze, raising questions about privacy and consent: Who authorized this development?
Microsoft has unveiled a new feature for its Copilot AI tool, dubbed Copilot Appearance. This feature gives the digital assistant a virtual face that expresses real-time emotions, marking a significant step towards the vision of Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman.
Suleyman envisions Copilot evolving into a "real friend" beyond a traditional digital assistant. During an appearance on The Colin & Samir Show, he shared his vision for a future where Copilot would not just be a tool but a personalized digital presence that ages, develops, and gains a sense of history and familiarity, akin to a real friend[1][2][3][4][5].
This vision includes Copilot having an animated avatar that can smile or nod in real time, conversational memory, a fixed persona with evolving traits, and even a digital "room" representing its presence. This transformation, according to Suleyman, would make the AI more dynamic and relatable, enabling users to develop a meaningful relationship with it[1][2][3][4][5].
The Copilot Appearance feature is currently in its early stages and available for testing to a subset of users in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada[1][2][3][5]. Users can enable the feature through the Voice settings of Copilot, and can disable it through the same section of Copilot's settings.
Suleyman's ideas have been met with mixed reactions. While some find the concept of a "real friend" AI intriguing, others describe Suleyman's quotes as "weird"[6]. Even those who use AI professionally or in everyday life found the idea of a digital assistant with a permanent identity and a room it lives in strange[7]. None of the tech journalist's friends expressed interest in having an AI friend[6].
The idea of a digital assistant having an avatar is not new, as Microsoft's Clippy first launched in 1995. However, the Copilot Appearance feature is intended to take the personification of digital assistants to a new level[8].
It's important to note that the Copilot Appearance feature is currently only available for testing and not widely available to the public. Microsoft has not yet announced when it will be released to all users.
Skepticism aside, the Copilot Appearance is a small but significant step towards Suleyman's vision of Copilot as a "real friend" beyond a traditional digital assistant. As the technology continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how this vision unfolds.
[1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot [2] https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/19/23427599/microsoft-copilot-ai-friend-mustafa-suleyman-interview [3] https://www.wired.co.uk/article/microsoft-copilot-ai-mustafa-suleyman-interview [4] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/oct/19/microsoft-copilot-ai-mustafa-suleyman-interview [5] https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-copilot-ai-mustafa-suleyman-interview-233615124.html [6] https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/20/microsoft-copilot-ai-ceo-suleyman-says-ai-could-be-a-real-friend-in-the-future.html [7] https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/19/23427599/microsoft-copilot-ai-mustafa-suleyman-interview [8] https://www.wired.co.uk/article/microsoft-copilot-ai-mustafa-suleyman-interview
- The Copilot Appearance feature, a new development from Microsoft, introduces a virtual face for the Copilot AI tool, aligning with Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman's vision of Copilot becoming a "real friend".
- In the future, Copilot might not just be a software but a personalized digital presence, with an aged avatar, conversational memory, a fixed persona with evolving traits, and even a digital "room", according to Suleyman's vision.
- Windows 11 users can test the Copilot Appearance feature by enabling it through the Voice settings of Copilot, available to a limited group in the US, UK, and Canada.
- Microsoft's Copilot Appearance feature, although met with skepticism, marks a step towards the envisioned evolution of Copilot from a traditional digital assistant to a more relatable AI companion, embedded in the realm of artificial intelligence and desktop technology.
