Pour one out for Mico, Microsoft's Copilot AI character that is definitely not Clippy in disguise. The blobby little companion isn't dead, though. He's instead being removed from Copilot's voice mode and sent to Microsoft's "Learn Live" platform, where he'll work as some sort of teaching assistant.
Which sounds a lot like "went to live on a farm" to me (via The Verge). Anyway, you must have heard of Mico, right? He was the audio-responsive star character of Copilot Voice, and an emotive little blob of joy that brightened up everyone's day. Probably.
"Mico won't appear in Copilot Voice after your account updates," says MS, ominously. "Mico helped us learn about warmth, expressiveness, and how people want to talk with AI. Those learnings are shaping Copilot going forward."
"Learn is where the character has the most room to grow," the announcement continues, "with tutoring sessions that give Mico more to react to and teach through."
Our esteemed hardware team reacted to the news this morning with cries of "I've never seen him before in my life" and "I have literally never heard of Mico," so perhaps his contribution to Microsoft's AI efforts has gone unnoticed.
Mostly because his role amounted to pulling faces while you argued out loud with Copilot, I would wager. Still, Mico seems to be on his way to join Clippy and Cortana in the great MS character repository in the sky. There they stand, like the ghosts of Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker, and Yoda at the end of Return of the Jedi, smiling down on us from afar.
We hardly knew ye, Mico. I mean that quite literally, but I hope your retirement into a career in academia provides you some much-needed rest before the short, sharp drop. You were not BonziBuddy, at least—and for that we are all very grateful.
1. Best gaming chair: Secretlab Titan Evo
2. Best gaming desk: Secretlab Magnus Pro XL
3. Best gaming headset: Razer BlackShark V3
4. Best gaming keyboard: Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless
5. Best gaming mouse: Razer Viper V4 Pro
6. Best PC controller: GameSir G7 Pro
7. Best steering wheel: Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel
8. Best microphone: Shure MV6 USB Gaming Microphone
9. Best webcam: Elgato Facecam MK.2
