Microsoft is making waves in the gaming industry once again with its latest innovation: an AI-powered Xbox chatbot designed to reshape the support experience for gamers.
The information came from the sources familiar with Microsoft's plans. These people said that the chatbot is an "embodied AI character" that springs to life when responding to Xbox support queries.
Empowering Xbox Support with AI Chatbot
The AI chatbot for Xbox is intricately linked to Microsoft's extensive support documents for the Xbox network and ecosystem.
Capable of addressing various queries and even facilitating game refunds directly from Microsoft's support website, this virtual assistant is poised to redefine the support landscape for Xbox users.
Internally referred to as the "Xbox Support Virtual Agent," this chatbot aims to streamline the support process for gamers, according to The Verge.
Expanding Testing Pool and Future Prospects
Recent developments suggest that Microsoft is broadening the testing scope of its Xbox chatbot, hinting at its potential to handle support queries for all Xbox customers in the future.
While the prototype is currently undergoing testing against support queries for Minecraft Realms subscription-based server hosting service, Microsoft has confirmed the existence of this innovative chatbot.
"We are testing an Xbox Support Virtual Agent, an internal prototype of an animated character that can query Xbox Support topics with voice or text," Haiyan Zhang, general manager of gaming AI at Xbox, told The Verge.
Zhang adds that the chatbot prototype makes use of information from existing Xbox support pages to respond to players more easily with the help of natural language.
Integration with Azure AI Bot Service
Microsoft's venture into AI-driven support is not limited to gaming. The Xbox chatbot draws inspiration from Microsoft's Azure AI Bot Service, which empowers businesses to create conversational AI bots for various tasks.
With a user-friendly interface and the ability to process diverse support requests, the Xbox chatbot represents a significant advancement in customer service automation.
AI-Powered Features Beyond Support
Beyond support tasks, Microsoft is exploring the integration of AI across various facets of gaming, including game content creation, operations, and platform enhancement. From AI-generated art and assets to AI NPCs, the company is poised to redefine the gaming experience through innovation.
While Microsoft has been relatively quiet about its AI initiatives in gaming, the company's executives have outlined an ambitious vision for "Xbox Everywhere," with AI innovation playing a pivotal role. As the gaming industry continues to evolve, Microsoft seems unstoppable in its newest technologies that are bound to adapt to the next-gen gaming needs.
This is not the first time that Microsoft incorporated AI into gaming. In 2023, the Redmond giant sought help from Inworld AI to bring AI-enhanced characters to life, IGN reports.
Even Ubisoft uses an AI ghostwriter tool that helps developers in writing in-game dialogues. In fact, the majority of gaming firms are catching up with AI to test how it can improve game development and other gaming elements.
