Summary
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Microsoft introduced Mico, Copilot’s new animated voice mode.
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The character brings dynamic expressions, learning and customization, and is reminiscent of the old Clippy.
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For now, the virtual assistant is only available in the United States, but it is expected to expand to other countries.
Almost 30 years after the debut of Clippy — the paperclip that marked (and irritated) generations of Office users —, Microsoft is betting on a new way of interacting with the computer. Yesterday (10/23), the company announced Mico, a new representation of Copilot’s voice mode.
The proposal revisits the idea of virtual assistants, like Cortana in the past, but with modern technology. To the The VergeMicrosoft AI vice president of product and growth Jacob Andreou said, “Clippy walked so we could run.”
During the conversation, Mico reacts in real time – changing his expressions, colors and even gestures according to the tone of the dialogue. The animation will be enabled by default in Copilot voice mode, but can be disabled at any time. The feature is initially being launched in the United States, with plans to expand to other countries.
What is Mico capable of doing?
In addition to answering questions and completing tasks, Mico integrates new learning and personalization features. One of them is the “Learn Live” mode, which transforms the assistant into a kind of virtual tutor.
It not only delivers direct answers, but guides the user to understand concepts, using interactive whiteboards and visual elements. The objective is to serve students who are preparing for tests to people who are learning a new language.
Another new feature is personalized memory. Copilot will now record information about the user and ongoing projects, to provide more contextual responses. According to the company, this ability reinforces the assistant’s more human and close tone.
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman explained the vision behind the project in a statement: “When we build this, we’re not looking for engagement or optimizing screen time. We’re building AI that takes you back to your life. That deepens human connection. That earns your trust.”
More identity
Mico is part of Microsoft’s strategy to give identity and “voice” to Copilot, transforming it into an assistant with its own digital presence. In July, Suleyman stated that the idea is that Copilot “will have a kind of permanent identity, a presence, and will have a space where he will live and grow old”.
Just like the old Clippy, the new character also has Easter eggs: by clicking repeatedly on Mico, the user will see the character transform into the legendary paperclip. The game reinforces the emotional bond with the brand’s past, now reimagined in an era of generative AI.
In addition to Mico, Copilot’s fall update brought improvements in deep search, health answers and even new conversation modes, such as “Real Talk”. In this format, the Copilot must adopt a more authentic stance to challenge the user’s ideas, with the aim of stimulating reflections and new perspectives.
The company also improved the integration between Copilot and the Microsoft Edge browser, which will now identify open tabs, compare information and perform actions, such as hotel reservations or filling out forms.
Source: https://tecnoblog.net/noticias/lembra-do-clippy-microsoft-agora-apresenta-o-mico/
