Microsoft no longer hides its ambition to integrate artificial intelligence into every aspect of the Xbox ecosystem. Latest experiment to date: Gaming Copilotan AI assistant capable of guiding you during your games, directly from the console or mobile application.
Launched at the end of November in beta, this new feature received a mixed reception. “Microsoft just started rolling out a new ‘Gaming Copilot’ feature for Xbox gamers, and at least a few people seem impressed.” Others see it as a threat to content creators and jobs in the industry.
How does Microsoft’s AI Gaming Copilot work?
Concretely, Gaming Copilot is linked to your Xbox Series X or Series S account via the mobile application. It is able to analyze your session in real time, detect the game in progress, and provide contextual help.
“Gaming Copilot will know “what’s happening in your game in real time”, allowing players to ask it for detailed help regarding “gaming tips or achievement history”.”
The system has been specifically trained on Xbox titles, allowing it to understand the logic of many quests and mechanics.
The first returns: amazed or suspicious
On Reddit, some beta users praised the effectiveness of the AI assistant. One of them reports: “He did a great job of giving detailed explanations of the mechanics and how to approach the specific quests I asked him about.”
But the majority remains skeptical. Several players denounce a form of plundering of content created by the community without citation or remuneration. As one very liked comment sums it up: “And how many people’s work did he steal without credit or compensation to obtain this knowledge?”
Tense context: AI and job cuts at Xbox
The launch of this AI comes in a tense climate. In July, Microsoft made 9,000 job cuts in its Xbox division, sparking outrage. Many observers quickly made the link with the company’s AI shift, fearing a gradual replacement of human employees by algorithms.
Already in February, the frosty welcome reserved for Musea gameplay AI developed with Ninja Theory, showed players’ growing distrust of this type of tool. The controversy surrounding Call of Duty: Black Ops 7several of whose graphic assets were generated by AI, only added fuel to the fire.
The future of Gaming Copilot: gadget or revolution?
Microsoft appears determined to continue development of Gaming Copilot, despite the criticism. The mobile version is only just beginning and could be enriched with new features: voice transcription, sharing of advice with friends, or even integration into the games themselves.
It remains to be seen whether this technology will be accepted as a real plus… or rejected as an intrusive and unfair tool for content creators. One thing is certain: artificial intelligence will not leave the Xbox ecosystem any time soon.