It’s only available on beta and to Xbox Insiders in the US, but gamers can now interact with Xbox’s new AI-powered chatbot.
The creation of what is now know to be the Xbox Support Virtual Agent was flagged six months ago.
It is the first big AI release for Xbox owners who have been waiting while Microsoft has pushed hard ahead with AI releases for other areas of its business, including AI models for smartphones and laptops.
What Does the Xbox AI Chatbot Do?
Microsoft has released some details but they’re pretty vague. It says the chatbot is “an AI-powered feature built to help Xbox players more efficiently solve their support-related gaming issues.”
This means it will use information from Xbox’s support pages to answer users’ questions.
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How Can I Access It?
This is very much a beta and as such, it is only Xbox Insiders located in the United States and “with English selected as their preferred language” that can test out the chatbot. Access is available via support.xbox.com.
Microsoft adds that it is relying on their feedback with the option to give the chatbot’s responses a thumbs up or thumbs down, and to give further feedback at the bottom of the page.
“We value the feedback from Xbox Insiders for this preview experience and any feedback received will be used to improve the Support Virtual Agent,” said Megha Dudani, senior product manager lead at Xbox.
More AI to Come for Xboxers?
The Verge is suggesting that this trial signals that Microsoft is finally turning its attention to boosting AI capabilities for its games platform. Its AI focus so far has very much been dictated by its partnership with OpenAI.
It writes that “Xbox has been cautious” in introducing AI features to date but this release marks a change of pace. It suggests that we can expect “AI-generated art and assets for games, AI game testing, and the generative AI non-player characters (NPCs)” in the not-too-distant future.
In the meantime, Xbox Insiders are sure to share their views on the chatbot, but Microsoft has also assured them that live support agents (namely humans) will remain available too while the AI is put through its paces.
