Microsoft’s Mico heightens the risks of parasocial LLM relationships

Microsoft is rolling out a new face for its AI, and its name is Mico. The company announced the new, animated blob-like avatar for Copilot’s voice mode yesterday as part of a “human-centered” rebranding of Microsoft’s Copilot AI efforts. Mico is part of a Microsoft program dedicated to the idea that “technology should work in service of people,” Microsoft wrote. The company insists this effort is “not [about] chasing engagement or optimizing for screen time. We’re building AI that gets you back to your life. That deepens human connection.” Mico has drawn instant and obvious comparisons to Clippy , the animated paperclip that popped up to offer help with Microsoft Office starting in the ’90s . Microsoft has leaned into this comparison with an Easter egg that can transform Mico into an animated Clippy . Read full article Comments