Microsoft AI CEO says Copilot will evolve into a companion and 'real friend' despite backlash from concerned users: "It tries to be my friend when I need it to be a tool"

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Microsoft's latest Copilot update continues to brew controversy as AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman highlights plans to evolve it into a virtual companion that fosters lasting and meaningful relationships.

Mustafa Suleyman, now Microsoft AI CEO., during a panel session on day three of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024.
Mustafa Suleyman, now Microsoft AI CEO., during a panel session on day three of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (Image credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft's new update for its Copilot AI services continues to stir controversy with most users highlighting their preference for the previous version, citing a degraded user experience.
  • In a recent interview, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman discussed Copilot's future plans, including its evolution into a virtual companion that can become a friend and foster meaningful and lasting relationships with users.
  • Users have already spotted instances where the chatbot has tried to foster a friendship, while in reality, they just need to leverage its capabilities as a tool.

Last month, Microsoft shipped a massive update to Copilot, adding a "warm and inviting" user experience to the service alongside a host of next-gen AI features, including Copilot Vision, designed to browse the web in Edge. However, the update has been received with mixed feelings, with many users expressing their preference for Copilot's previous version. "Until they bring back the old version, I will be going back to ChatGPT," a concerned user indicated.

Interestingly, a recent report further revealed that even Microsoft staffers have reservations about the warm update, referring to it as "a step backward," which has "absolutely ruined" Copilot's user experience. Despite the overwhelming user feedback shared on social media about the botched update, the tech giant has seemingly remained mum about the whole situation.

In a recent interview with Kara Swisher, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman discussed the future of Copilot and AI agents (via Tsarnick on X):

"We have the browser for distribution, we have the search engine for content, we have MSN for news, and now we have the consumer Copilo,t which is trying to produce this really conversational fluent AI companion."

Swisher indicated that Copilot is a search engine based on its user experience. And while Suleyman seemingly agreed, he indicated it might evolve beyond this limit. "I mean, this is going to become a lasting, meaningful relationship," added Microsoft AI CEO. "People are going to have a real friend that gets to know you over time, that learns from you, that is there in your corner as your support."

Bill Gates' AI agent dream comes to fruition at Microsoft

"On with Kara Swisher" live podcast with Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman at #LWTSUMMIT - YouTube
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Despite officially leaving the company to focus on philanthropy, Bill Gates is reportedly intimately involved in Microsoft affairs. Gates is seemingly interested in Microsoft's AI efforts. Per an internal memo shared with top executives at the firm about AI agents (loosely described as advanced tools for making work more accessible by summarizing emails), Microsoft's recently unveiled Copilot agents seemingly fit the bill.

As you may know, Copilot agents are designed to help automate business processes and promote efficiency. More recently, Microsoft announced that Copilot Studio will soon support the creation of an autonomous agent, which, in Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's view, suggests the tech giant could be in "panic mode." Salesforce provides a similar offering dubbed Agentforce, which, according to Benioff, transforms businesses by driving sales, service, marketing, analytics, and commerce.

Related: Windows Agent Arena creates realistic Windows operating system environment for AI agent training

Benioff previously claimed Copilot is just the new Microsoft Clippy, which is a major disservice to the AI industry.

Microsoft AI CEO says Copilot could evolve into more than just a tool and even become a companion. Perhaps this could be where Copilot is headed with the new and progressive updates. However, it remains unclear whether this is a welcome change. "It tries to be my friend when I need it to be a tool," reviewed a concerned user after Microsoft shipped Copilot's latest update.

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Kevin Okemwa
Kevin Okemwa
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Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You'll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.

5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Cmndr_Bytes
    Literally just got to start using the enterprise version for my company so I can help support it. So far I really like it and I can see it becoming my friend. I like an assistant with personality, fun to use and is helpful. If I had an assistant in real life I would want the same. Not some robotic, stiff person.
    Reply
  • manicottiK
    When I ask anyone/anything a fact-based question, I expect an answer that isn't embellished or followed by a question that solicits information from me.

    Here's a great example: I asked "What's the tallest tree in America?"
    Bing: "Hyperperion, according to two sources." It then showed the appropriate paragraphs from Wikipedia and from the NY Times.
    Google: Listed the same Wikipedia article. However, before that, it showed a Gemini response that was wrong: "The tallest tree in the United States is the Doerner Fir, which is 327 feet tall and located in Redwood National Park in Oregon. It's the second tallest tree in the country and the world's tallest Douglas fir. " A second Gemini paragraph listed the correct tree as the tallest in the world.
    New Copilot: "The tallest tree in America is Hyperion, a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) located in Redwood National Park, California. Hyperion stands at an impressive height of 379 feet (115.5 meters)1. Its exact location is kept secret to protect it from potential damage by visitors1.
    Have you ever visited any of the redwood forests? "
    Gemini (not from Google search): "The tallest tree in the world, and therefore also the tallest tree in America, is Hyperion. It's a coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) located in Redwood National Park, California. As of 2019, it stands at a towering 380.8 feet tall! Hyperion is not only the tallest tree in the world, but it's also one of the oldest, estimated to be between 600 and 800 years old."
    ChatGPT: "The tallest tree in America is a coast redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum) named Hyperion. It was discovered in 2006 in a secret location in California's Redwood National Park and stands at about 379.7 feet (115.7 meters) tall. This makes it not only the tallest tree in the U.S. but also the tallest known living tree in the world!"
    The responses are all correct (except the Gemini summary stuffed info the Google search response), but Copilot wants to engage me in chat. If I answer yes, it wants to know which redwoods I've seen. It's like Copilot has scraped all the content it could get from the web and has now decided to start scraping its users. Ick.
    Reply
  • bazanime
    I don't mind the friendship nature but I also want a useful friend.
    We can wax lyrical about mac and cheese with steak, but bring up a website where I can buy that nice skillet.
    We can have the best of both features.
    Reply
  • DaveDansey
    I agree with manicottiK - it's really annoying how Copilot keeps putting questions at the end of it's answers.

    I asked the same tree question, then asked why it wanted to know if I've visited any. It stated it was "Just curious!". I told it it can't possibly be curious as it's a computer and not sentient. It agreed, but stated it helps provide engaging conversation, then asked what my hobbies are.

    I told it to just answer my questions and stop asking me questions as it's very annoying. It apologised and told me it would just answer any question I have.

    I asked it how many whale species exist. It gave me an answer, followed with a question.

    Personally I just want a computer to do what I instruct it to, I don't want get into "human like" conversations and waste my time telling it my thoughts and opinions. I don't want a computer to get to know me or "be my friend" in any way shape or form - I just find that weird and creepy!
    Reply
  • K Shan
    I just want Copilot Notebook back. That was so useful for coding and getting things done. But I guess getting things done quickly doesn't get the user engagement of a chat bot.
    Reply