A controversial new feature being added to Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X consoles is going to improve the user experience of said consoles according to Microsoft. As of this week, the feature is available to Xbox Insiders in the United States, which means it has not rolled out to the wider public. When this will happen, remains to be seen. Typically though, several months separate a feature being tested in early access and being rolled out as a final product to the wider Xbox base. To this end, it may not be relevant to the vast majority of Xbox console users until next year, but unless something goes terribly astray during this testing period it will be rolled out to everyone on Xbox soon enough.
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The new feature is not that consequential nor do Xbox users even need to interface with it. However, anything involving AI is automatically contentious. To this end, Xbox Insiders may notice a new Xbox chatbot powered by AI. This chatbot is a brand new addition to Xbox consoles. And according to Microsoft, its purpose is “to help Xbox players more efficiently solve their support-related gaming issues.”
For those that don’t know, running support teams is quite expensive. How much this plays into this new initiative from Xbox, we don’t know. Naturally, Microsoft has not completely divulged the motivations for this new AI support bot. Rather it simply has focused on what it can do for gamers.
Those that have been paying attention to Microsoft though will know it has shifted a large number of resources to AI. In fact, it has become a pillar of the Microsoft strategy and brand under CEO Satya Nadella. This hasn’t really come to fruition with the Xbox brand though, but it appears this is finally changing.
Right now the new Xbox AI chatbot is pretty limited, but we know this can quickly change with AI. At the moment, Xbox Insiders can ask it various questions about console and game issues. How effective it will be at fielding these questions, remains to be seen.
“We value the feedback from Xbox Insiders for this preview experience and any feedback received will be used to improve the Support Virtual Agent,” says Megha Dudani, a senior product manager lead at Xbox while speaking about the new AI feature.
As the image below teases, the new AI chatbot features a little animated character that animates when interacting with users. Those that find the little Xbox AI buddy unsettling can change the icon to a simple orb.
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H/T, The Verge.
