Microsoft's AI CEO says Copilot will evolve into a "real friend" with a permanent identity — an ideal utopia of digital patina

Microsoft's AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, recently made an appearance on The Colin & Samir Show, where he discussed a wide range of topics, including how Microsoft views and develops AI, regulation, competition with other rival AI firms, and his vision for Copilot. The executive had quite an informative and insightful conversation with the popular YouTubers and podcasters.

However, Suleyman's vision for Copilot caught my attention the most. According to the CEO:

Suleyman indicated that the things he loves in the world are well-worn with scuff marks, which helps create a sense of ownership. He indicated that it's currently impossible to replicate a similar experience in the digital age, as it doesn't create the sense that something has an age or some sort of temporality.

Instead, it exists in an infinite space, which is quite alien as a concept. The executive further revealed that he hated his desktop, which he described as a noisy neon billboard that scrambles for his attention. "It just looks ugly," he added.

Microsoft's AI CEO envisions a quieter and cleaner working environment that's optimized for everything he's interested in and wants to get done.

Perhaps even more interesting, the executive talked about Copilot potentially replacing YouTube by collaborating with sought-after creators to make the dream work. He indicated that Microsoft is currently thinking about this idea. "I think it is super awesome," Suleyman added.

Surprisingly, the executive even volunteered his work email (mustafas@microsoft.com) for anyone with ideas on this front to personally reach out to him for further brainstorming and even potential execution.

"I'm thinking about that problem right now and I think it is going to be the future," he added. This is part of Microsoft's broad plan to bring variety and diversity to the Copilot platform.

Copilot has always been more than a tool to Microsoft's AI CEO — it's a trusted friend and companion

It's no secret that Microsoft's AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, views Copilot as more than a tool, but a friend and companion. Last year, the executive echoed these sentiments following a controversial update that overhauled the tool's user experience:

"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."

While Microsoft has received backlash from users over recent Copilot changes, it has continued pushing more features to the tool, which are seemingly pushing it to become a companion and tool, including Copilot Avatar, which essentially gives the service a "body" like a real virtual assistant, Copilot Vision, search, and memory.

However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman doesn't seem partial to the idea of AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot being viewed as friends, especially for his kids. "These AI systems will get to know you over the course of your life so well — that presents a new challenge and level of importance for how we think about privacy in the world of AI," he added.

More recently, Sam Altman highlighted his concern about Gen Z's "emotional over-reliance" on ChatGPT. While he claimed that the tool is better at giving advice than most therapists across the world, he admitted that collectively deciding to trust AI with our thoughts and lives is dangerous.