Mico, the blobby AI character featured in Microsoft's Copilot voice mode, is being transitioned to a new role. The character will no longer appear in Copilot Voice updates and will instead join Microsoft's 'Learn Live' platform as a teaching assistant.
Microsoft stated that Mico helped the company understand user interaction with AI concerning warmth and expressiveness, learnings that are now influencing Copilot's ongoing development. The move to the 'Learn Live' platform is intended to provide Mico with greater opportunities for growth through tutoring sessions, allowing it to teach and react in more dynamic ways.
Despite its role in Copilot Voice, some within Microsoft's hardware team reportedly expressed unfamiliarity with Mico, suggesting its presence may have gone largely unnoticed. The character's primary function was often to provide visual reactions while users interacted with Copilot. Mico now joins other notable Microsoft characters like Clippy and Cortana in the company's archive.