Nearly three decades after the animated paperclip “Clippy” annoyed users of Microsoft Office, the tech giant is trying again — this time with “Mico,” an artificial intelligence companion designed to be more helpful, expressive and user-friendly.
Microsoft unveiled Mico (pronounced MEE-koh) on Thursday, describing it as a floating, animated face shaped like a flame or blob. Mico will represent the company’s Copilot virtual assistant and marks Microsoft’s latest effort to add personality to AI tools while avoiding the missteps of the past.
“When you talk about something sad, you can see Mico’s face change. You can see it move as it gets excited with you,” said Jacob Andreou, corporate vice president of product and growth for Microsoft AI, in an interview with the Associated Press. “It’s about creating an AI companion you can actually feel.”
For now, the character is available only to U.S. users of Copilot on laptops and mobile apps. Mico changes color, spins, and even puts on glasses in “study” mode. Unlike Clippy — which appeared in 1997 and became notorious for interrupting users — Mico can be easily turned off.
Experts say users today may be more open to such digital companions. Bryan Reimer, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-author of How to Make AI Useful, said, “Microsoft pushed Clippy, we resisted it and they got rid of it. I think we’re much more ready for things like that today.”
Reimer noted that developers now carefully balance how much “personality” to give AI assistants. “Tech-savvy users may want it to act like a machine, but others are better supported by technology that feels a little more human,” he said.
Microsoft says its approach differs from other AI developers — some of whom have avoided giving AI any physical presence, while others, such as Elon Musk’s xAI, have leaned into lifelike, flirtatious avatars. “Those two paths don’t really resonate with us,” said Andreou, stressing that Mico is meant to be “genuinely useful,” not manipulative or attention-seeking.
The company also announced new features, including the ability to invite Copilot into group chats — similar to AI integrations in Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Instagram — and a “voice-enabled, Socratic tutor” mode to help students with their studies.
Microsoft’s launch comes amid growing scrutiny over how AI tools affect children and teens. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission recently opened inquiries into several social media and AI firms over concerns that chatbots could harm young users, though Microsoft was not among those investigated.
Some chatbots have faced lawsuits after allegedly giving harmful or inappropriate advice to minors, prompting companies to rethink how human-like their AI systems should be.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, for example, has promised a new version of ChatGPT that restores some of its “personality,” saying the company had previously toned it down to address mental health concerns.
As Microsoft reimagines Clippy’s legacy through Mico, the challenge remains the same: how to make AI feel friendly — without crossing the line into intrusive or unsafe.
Source: AP