Treading deeply into Black Mirror territory with this announcement, but Microsoft thinks people will connect better with Copilot if it gives the AI assistant a face that you can customize to your liking.
Announced during its 50th-anniversary Copilot event, the company has teased that it's working on a feature called Copilot Avatar, which will let users shape Copilot into whatever appearance they like. Even Clippy!
The avatar will appear whenever you're chatting to Copilot in the app, and will likely be able to emote with happiness or excitement whenever the conversation gets heated. The company is still experimenting with this, but it sounds like the feature is definitely on its way:
"We’re early in this thinking, but soon you’ll have the ability to personalize Copilot and interact with your AI companion in a fun way while it offers advice and support when you want it. You can strike up a conversation with Copilot and now have an entertaining appearance that’s unique to you."
Microsoft hasn't said when Copilot Avatars are likely to be available. It sounds like the feature is in an experimental stage at this time, so it likely needs more time in the oven before it's released globally.
Copilot Avatar was announced during Microsoft's 50th-anniversary Copilot event, alongside some other big features. Copilot Memory will allow Copilot to remember your likes and dislikes, and Copilot Vision for Windows 11 will allow it to see and interact with your desktop.
What are your thoughts on Microsoft adding avatars to Copilot? Let us know in the comments.
