Microsoft has discontinued the use of its Mico character in Copilot's voice mode. The yellow blob, which provided visual reactions and animations during voice interactions, was introduced less than a year ago in October 2023.
Mico will be relocated to Microsoft's Learn Live platform. In its new capacity, the avatar is expected to serve as a tutor, with Microsoft stating that Learn Live offers "more to react to and teach through" for the character.
Microsoft's support page indicated that Mico helped the company learn about "warmth, expressiveness, and how people want to talk with AI," and these learnings will influence future Copilot development.
The removal of Mico is part of Microsoft's ongoing plans to merge its Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot applications. This move follows a recent reshuffling in Microsoft's AI leadership.
Mico joins a list of virtual assistants retired by Microsoft over the years, including Clippy, Cortana, and Rover. Users can still utilize voice interaction with Copilot, but Mico-specific settings from the voice mode will not transfer to its new platform.
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Microsoft has removed its Mico AI mascot from the voice interaction feature of Copilot, less than a year after its introduction. Mico will now serve as a tutor in the Learn Live hub, indicating a shift in its intended role within Microsoft's AI offerings.
Microsoft is removing its Mico character from Copilot's voice mode less than a year after its launch, relocating the avatar to the Learn Live platform. This change is part of broader efforts to merge Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot apps and follows a recent AI leadership reshuffling.