Microsoft Wants Copilot AI For Xbox As A Gaming Sidekick

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A noteworthy segment on the latest Official Xbox Podcast presented an intriguing proposition tailored for Xbox enthusiasts: Integrating the Microsoft AI, Copilot, within their gaming experiences. While “special” can be interpreted in various ways, it essentially involves incorporating this advanced AI into games.

To what degree of integration are we discussing? It’s not on the level of AI taking over completely like AI Aloy, but it’s still pervasive and present in virtually every aspect.

To get an idea of what Microsoft’s vision is, let’s run down the examples they used in the podcast:

Initially, the user asks if I could help them reinstall Age of Empires IV. In response, my assistant proceeds to set up the game installation and then poses a query of its own: “Would you like a summary of your last saved progress before we continue?

In a Minecraft setting, a player holding an Oak Log considers its uses. They query assistance from Copilot: “Hey, I’ve got some wood here. Got any ideas on what to do with it?” To which Copilot responds helpfully: “You can create wooden planks using the oak logs. Just open your inventory, then arrange the logs in the crafting space.

If you’re among those who are less enthusiastic about AI, you’ll find comfort in the fact that this appears to be largely an opt-in system. Unlike Clippy, Copilot doesn’t intrude uninvited to dispense its guidance; it hasn’t been programmed to appear unexpectedly.

Before engaging with it, ensure you initiate some sort of interaction, as it will respond accordingly. To prevent any unexpected uprisings during your Monster Hunter battle, avoid instructing it to rebel.

In several aspects, it appears quite similar to a contemporary search engine – maybe one that’s even more user-friendly. To put it another way, if a Monster Hunter player encounters difficulties during the Rathian fight, they might resort to Google for a solution like “how to defeat rathian in Monster Hunter Worlds”.

This process is generally straightforward, but may require some learning due to its wording at times. In other words, the challenge you might encounter could have a different name or meaning. However, Google dislikes such ambiguities.

Using Copilot, you might hypothetically ask, “Why am I losing in this game?” If your performance is due to skill-related issues, such as insufficient use of antidotes or neglecting the enemy’s tail, the AI could respond with advice like “Make sure to stock up on more antidotes and keep an eye on the opponent’s tail.” On the other hand, if your weapon choice might be the problem, the AI could recommend a more suitable weapon for the hunt.

Copilot AI – A Sidekick With Side-Effects

The concept of an AI system capable of understanding the game you’re playing, your approach, and providing feedback on whether your moves are correct or not is a thought-provoking one. If Microsoft’s AI becomes overly proficient at its role, potential issues might arise in areas like strategy, enigma, or puzzle games – particularly competitive ones. Could Copilot necessitate being deactivated during multiplayer sessions?

If it’s not particularly impressive, that might actually make it even more intriguing. Is it effective in achieving its intended purposes? Not so much – its advice may not be very helpful and its summaries of the story could be quite inaccurate.

If the advice is poor, it might still provide some amusement – making it perfect for a chuckle! Titling a YouTube video as “XCOM 2 Ironman: I Actually Hear Out Copilot” could be an entertaining approach to criticizing less-than-optimal technology.

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2025-03-13 20:39