Microsoft has developed an animated generative AI chatbot to deal with Xbox support requests online and is now testing the bot internally.
Xbox's AI chatbot, dubbed the Xbox Virtual Support Agent, is an "embodied AI character" designed to resolve user problems like subscription issues, Xbox hardware problems, game refund requests, or support-related questions. The animated chatbot is trained on Xbox support data and can answer voice- or text-based queries, Xbox General Manager of Gaming AI Haiyan Zhang tells The Verge, which first reported the news.
Given the emphasis on the bot's status as an "animated character," the chatbot may likely have some personality of its own. Zhang says that while the bot is still being tested, it “makes it easier and quicker for players to get help with support topics using natural language, taking information from existing Xbox Support pages.”
While much of the information the bot can provide is probably already viewable elsewhere on a Microsoft website, the bot could speed up and simplify the process for users who don't want to trawl through support forums or Xbox's support topics to find an answer to their problem. It's unclear how much power the bot will actually have compared to a human support agent, however, and it's also unclear whether the bot has access to additional information or data beyond what's already publicly available online.
Microsoft is currently testing the Xbox Virtual Support Agent on Minecraft Realms server hosting help queries, The Verge reports.
It's worth noting that Xbox already offers a "virtual agent" to deal with online support requests by providing automated answers, but this bot isn't able to understand basic questions about whether it uses generative AI, for example. Instead, it responds to most messages by linking to an existing article on Xbox's support pages. For those looking to speak with a human, Xbox currently offers phone and web chat support as well.
Microsoft's new Xbox chatbot is a part of the tech giant's broader push into developing generative AI tools across all of its businesses, including gaming. Last year, it announced a partnership with startup InworldAI to give game developers generative AI-powered tools to help them build video games. But this collaboration proved immediately controversial and was lambasted by numerous game industry writers and voice actors, who called Microsoft's planned AI toolkit "disrespectful and dangerous."