A virtual chatbot designed to assist with support inquiries and refunds for games has been tested by Xbox personnel.
Microsoft is now testing an Xbox chatbot with AI capabilities that may be used to automate support duties. The Verge has learned that Microsoft has been testing an “embodied AI character” that animates in response to Xbox support inquiries, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans. I am aware that Microsoft is putting more effort into integrating AI into its Xbox platform and services, which includes its Xbox AI chatbot.
The Xbox AI chatbot can answer inquiries and even handle game refunds via Microsoft’s support website because it is linked to the company’s documentation for the Xbox network and environment. “This agent can assist you with your Xbox support inquiries,” according to an internal Microsoft description of the Xbox chatbot.
In recent days, Microsoft broadened the testing pool for its Xbox chatbot, raising the possibility that the “Xbox Support Virtual Agent” prototype could eventually be able to answer support inquiries from all Xbox users. Microsoft gave The Verge confirmation that its chatbot is real.
Haiyan Zhang, general manager of gaming AI at Xbox, said in a statement to The Verge, “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.” “The prototype uses information from existing Xbox Support pages to make it easier and faster for players to get help with support topics in natural language.”
I’ve been informed that the Xbox chatbot is comparable to the automated support task builders Microsoft encourages its clients to develop. Companies such as Vodafone, PwC, and others use Microsoft’s Azure AI Bot Service to create conversational AI bots.
The Xbox chatbot can promptly assist with support inquiries ranging from malfunctioning Xbox to assisting with issues with paid subscriptions. It begins by asking players, “How can I help you today?” According to sources, Microsoft is presently testing the Xbox chatbot internally against support inquiries for the Minecraft Realms paid server hosting service.
Microsoft’s Xbox chatbot prototype is part of a larger initiative inside Microsoft Gaming to enhance the Xbox platform and developer tools using AI-powered features and tools. According to sources, Microsoft is also developing AI capabilities for its Xbox platform, devices, and game operations. This involves testing AI games, experimenting with AI-generated art and components, and creating generative AI NPCs, which Microsoft has already started working on alongside Inworld.
Microsoft is also thinking about developing AI-powered Copilots to assist with enforcement and appeals procedures, as well as safety and moderation duties like Xbox platform content monitoring. Microsoft is also considering how to incorporate AI-powered aides into games so that users can receive assistance while they’re playing.
Because Microsoft is taking its time navigating public perceptions of AI in games, Xbox staff have not publicly recognized the company’s larger AI efforts. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been encouraging all of the company’s divisions to consider integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into goods and services, but Xbox has so far mostly concentrated on the development of AI tools.
Microsoft officials unveiled their “Xbox Everywhere” vision during an Xbox all-hands meeting earlier this year. This vision highlighted “AI innovation” as a crucial component, in addition to their device ecosystem and an Xbox platform that allows users to play anywhere they choose.
Days after that all-hands meeting, Microsoft previewed a very powerful next-generation Xbox, with Xbox VP Sarah Bond pledging “the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.” I am aware that AI will play a part in that technological leap.
PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), a picture upscaling method akin to Nvidia’s DLSS or AMD’s FSR, is allegedly something Sony is getting ready to introduce with the PS5 Pro system later this year. Though AI-powered image upscaling on consoles hasn’t been as popular as it is on PC games, Immortals of Aveum is shortly going to be the first console game to use AMD’s FSR 3 frame generation. Microsoft is eager to keep up with Sony’s AI upscaling initiatives.
Though Microsoft is considering gaming extensively, it’s unlikely that the cutting-edge approaches it’s already discussing internally will be how AI appears initially. Instead, while you’re attempting to figure out how to resolve an Xbox error code, it can show up as an animated smile.
