"What if you could see Copilot react and speak as you chat?" asks Microsoft in a new blog post. The tech giant is testing out a Copilot feature that has a virtual face express real-time emotions while speaking with you.
Copilot Appearance enhances the voice experience of the AI tool by showing different facial expressions based on the topic of discussion. The feature is in its early stages right now and available for testing to a subset of users in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
If you are among the lucky few who can test the feature, you can enable Copilot Appearance through the Voice settings of Copilot. Microsoft notes that if you do not see the toggle for Copilot Appearance that you are not in the test flight group.
Those who have access can disable the feature through the same section of Copilot's settings.
Copilot Appearance is a small step toward the vision of Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman.
Who asked for this?
A digital assistant having an avatar is hardly a new idea. Microsoft's infamous Clippy first launched in 1995, after all. But this new personification effort seems destined to take things to a new level.
Suleyman has long believed that Copilot will evolve into a "real friend," moving beyond a traditional digital assistant.
"I mean, this is going to become a lasting, meaningful relationship. People are going to have a real friend that gets to know you over time, that learns from you, that is there in your corner as your support," said the executive when he discussed a controversial Copilot update that shipped last year.
Suleyman took the idea further in his recent comments, explaining that Copilot will have "a kind of permanent identity, a presence, and it will have a room that it lives in, and it will age."
His most recent comments came during an appearance on The Colin & Samir Show.
The new Copilot Appearance gives users a face for the digital assistant. And that experimental face is expressive.
Perhaps my question of "who asked for this?" is a strange thing to hear from a tech journalist. I've used digital assistants for decades and AI is part of my workflow. But I just wonder who is asking for expressive AI that "ages" with you and has a "room that it lives in."
Does an AI assistant need to be your "real friend" as predicted by Suleyman? Could a tool powered by AI even be a genuine friend?
I asked several of my friends about this topic and each of them used the word "weird" to describe Suleyman's quotes. None of them said they wanted an AI friend.
Even those that use AI professionally or in everyday life thought the concept of a "real friend" that's actually an AI tool was strange.
Of course, this is anecdotal. My circle of friends may not represent the wider population. I'd love to know your thoughts on AI being a "real friend." Please share them in the comments below!
