Microsoft is testing a new AI-based chatbot for the Xbox ecosystem that will be used to automate support tasks. The system will work together with an animated AI character, reports The Verge concerning its sources.
The chatbot is connected to the documentation of Microsoft’s support section for the network and the Xbox ecosystem – it will be able to answer user questions and even handle refund requests for purchased games. In recent days, the company has expanded testing of the chatbot, with the expectation that an “Xbox virtual support agent” based on this prototype will one day be able to handle all customer inquiries, and has confirmed that work on the project is indeed underway.
“We’re testing an ‘Xbox Virtual Support Agent’, an internal prototype of an animated character that will be able to contact Xbox Support by voice or text. The prototype will make it faster and easier to get support assistance through natural language, using information from existing Xbox support pages,” said Haiyan Zhang, General Manager of Gaming AI at Xbox. Microsoft already offers similar products to Azure AI customers: companies such as Vodafone and PwC have already launched their AI-based chatbots in the cloud.
The Xbox chatbot starts a conversation with the player by asking: “How can I help you today?”. He responds quickly to a wide range of technical support questions – from a broken set-top box to solving problems with a paid subscription. It is currently being tested by Microsoft employees handling requests from Minecraft Realms users. In the future, the company intends to expand the use of AI on the Xbox platform and in developer tools. AI will be used in the creation of game content, and in-game operations, on the Xbox platform and devices.
AI will help generate game resources, test games and create non-game characters – in the work on the latest project, Microsoft enlisted the help of Inworld. The AI assistants of the Copilot family will be used in the areas of security and moderation, including content verification on the Xbox platform, as well as help in applying sanctions to users and handling appeals from them.
Xbox employees are still reluctant to talk about projects in the field of AI implemented by the Microsoft Gaming division, the company is acting cautiously, focusing on the perception of AI by the gaming community. At the same time, talking about the new strategy of the ubiquitous presence of Xbox, the company linked it to AI – this is what we can say about the “biggest technical breakthrough”, which was promised by the president of Xbox Sarah Bond.
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