During Microsoft's Surface and AI event, the firm outlined the future of Windows, Surface AI PCs, and the new Microsoft Copilot AI features. They did this, of course, through the classy medium of a Minecraft Let's Play.
While you can't watch any streams from the actual showcase itself, you can see a small clip that was posted by an attendee on Twitter, which shows a snippet from the Minecraft and Copilot demonstration. It's only 20 seconds long, but it showed the Copilot software explaining to a player how to make a sword, discussing what items they'd need, and how it's used.
"You'll need some materials," Copilot says during the presentation. "Can you open your inventory, just press E on your keyboard." After the player asks if they have what is needed to make a sword, Copilot just answers: "Let's see, you've got some sticks perfect for the sword's handle, but it looks like you're missing the material for the sword's blade. You can use wood, stone, iron, gold, or diamond."
- Microsoft unveils Copilot for Gaming, an AI-powered 'ultimate gaming sidekick' that will let you talk to your console so you don't have to talk to your friends
- Xbox announces 'a generative AI model for gameplay ideation' called Muse, but don't get too excited: Machines aren't about to make games for you just yet
So bear in mind the video ends quite abruptly, but my first thought after watching it was, what about the Netherite Sword? Netherite was added to Minecraft during the Nether Update in 2020, which immediately let you make armour and tools out of it, so it's not very encouraging that Copilot couldn't seemingly pick it up as a potential material for a sword, despite it existing for four years now.
It's also a rather odd use of Copilot, considering that Minecraft already has an inbuilt search tool that seems to work better than this AI version. After you place a crafting table and use it, you get the option to open a recipe book, which shows you all the different furnishings, blocks, and tools you can craft. If you don't have the right resources for something, then it will have a red border around said item. To find out what you need, all you have to do is click on the desired block or tool, and then it will show you the recipe along with instructions on how to build it in the 3x3 crafting table boxes. It's quick, efficient, and something that I've used time and time again to help me craft obscure items without any problem.
Now, there are probably some ways in which this tool can help accessibility, especially if you take in audible information better than visible information, but I can't help but see this as yet another use of AI that no one asked for. A few players agree with this sentiment.
"AI in game to learn or even play the game feels slightly strange," one player replies to the video, shared on Twitter. "Could be handy at times when a user is lost or has no clue why they are playing." Others just pointed out that AI isn't famous for its accuracy—we recently saw just how much havoc Google's AI could wreak after it began to recommend a whole host of bad ideas to users, such as drinking urine ("light in colour") to help pass kidney stones.
It will be interesting to see what else Microsoft's Copilot has up its sleeves, especially in the realm of gaming, but for now, I'll stick with my crafting table recipe book if I ever get stuck, as this has been my tried-and-true method for over a decade.
