Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, envisions a future for Copilot where it is uniquely personalized to the extent that it can “age.” Microsoft has been actively enhancing Copilot to serve as a personalized AI assistant, which included a significant redesign last year incorporating a conversational voice mode. The latest venture from Suleyman’s team is a new virtual character for Copilot that will engage users in real-time.
“Copilot will definitely have a sort of permanent identity, a presence, and a space where it exists, and it will also age,” Suleyman explained in a recent episode of The Colin & Samir Show. He expressed his fascination with the notion of digital patina, noting that he appreciates objects in his life that exhibit signs of wear and tear. He lamented the lack of a similar aging effect in the digital realm.
Reflecting the goal of establishing a permanent identity for Copilot, Microsoft recently began previewing a feature called Copilot Appearance. This new function, described as an experiment, allows users to interact visually with Copilot, leveraging real-time expressions, voice, and conversational memory.
Suleyman provided an early look at the Copilot Appearance feature during Microsoft’s recent 50th-anniversary celebration. This feature acts as a virtual character that responds to user queries, resembling the animated profiles seen with Cortana in certain regions. Copilot Appearance is designed to express emotions, such as smiling or nodding, based on user interactions. Currently, this feature is in early access through Microsoft’s Copilot Labs, but limited to select users in the US, UK, and Canada.
This new feature represents a significant advancement in Microsoft’s push to personalize Copilot. Suleyman, who co-founded Google DeepMind, has been at Microsoft for over a year, leading a team focused on consumer AI products, including Copilot, Bing, and Edge. He has transformed Copilot into a platform that mimics the personalized chatbot experience he was developing at Inflection AI. Much of the Inflection AI staff have transitioned to Microsoft, coinciding with the revamped design of Copilot, which now features improved voice and visual elements.
The rollout of Copilot Appearance is cautious, especially in light of previous incidents where conversational AI chatbots have generated harmful content, raising concerns, particularly among younger audiences. One platform, Character.AI, faced legal action after a tragic event involving a user, described as “unreasonably dangerous” in its interactions. Moreover, AI chatbots have increasingly been utilized in various roles, including companionship and grief support.
In addition to personalizing Copilot, Suleyman has indicated that Microsoft may look to enhance the Windows desktop experience. He expressed dissatisfaction with current desktop designs, stating, “I hate my desktop. I see a screen cluttered with noise, competing for my attention, which makes it look unattractive.”
While advancements in voice and visual technology are underway, Suleyman envisions a “quieter, simpler, optimized working environment” and is contemplating future improvements for his “workspace.” This could signal upcoming modifications to the Copilot app on Windows or broader changes with Microsoft’s Copilot Plus PCs.
Suleyman noted that he has significantly customized his phone interface to minimize distractions, opting for a black-and-white theme that reduces visual noise. “I use a subtle rose tint to create calmness, moving most apps to the sidelines, and keeping my main screen limited to just two or three essential apps,” he elaborated.