Clippy, the animated paper clip that annoyed Microsoft Office users nearly three decades ago, might have just been ahead of its time. On Thursday, Microsoft introduced a new artificial intelligence character called Mico (pronounced MEE'koh), a floating cartoon face shaped like a blob or flame that will embody the software giant's Copilot virtual assistant. It marks the latest attempt by tech companies to imbue their AI chatbots with more of a personality, per the AP.
Copilot's cute new emoji-like exterior comes as AI developers face a crossroads in how they present their increasingly capable chatbots to consumers without causing harm or backlash. Some have opted for faceless symbols, while others like Elon Musk's xAI are selling flirtatious, human-like avatars. Microsoft, meanwhile, is looking for a middle ground that's friendly without being obsequious. "When you talk about something sad, you can see Mico's face change. You can see it dance around and move as it gets excited with you," said Jacob Andreou, corporate VP of product and growth for Microsoft AI.
In the US only so far, Copilot users on laptops and phone apps can speak to Mico, which changes colors, spins around, and wears glasses when in "study" mode. It's also easy to shut off, which is a big difference from Microsoft's Clippit, better known as Clippy and infamous for its persistence in offering advice on word processing tools when it first appeared on desktop screens in 1997. Clippy "was not well-attuned to user needs at the time," said MIT research scientist Bryan Reimer. "Microsoft pushed it, we resisted it, and they got rid of it. I think we're much more ready for things like that today."
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Reimer, co-author of a new book called How to Make AI Useful, said AI developers are balancing how much personality to give AI assistants based on who their expected users are. Tech-savvy adopters of advanced AI coding tools may want it to "act much more like a machine because at the back end they know it's a machine," Reimer said. "But individuals who are not as trustful in a machine are going to be best supported—not replaced—by technology that feels a little more like a human." Microsoft also has less incentive to make its AI companion overly engaging in a way that's been tied to social isolation, harmful misinformation, and, in some cases, suicides. More here.
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