Xbox could get an AI chatbot that answers your support questions

As Microsoft continues to explore potential uses for AI in its products, Xbox is not being left out of the conversation. A new report claims the company is working on an AI chatbot that will answer players’s support questions.

According to The Verge, Microsoft has confirmed it is currently testing an AI chatbot for the Xbox platform. Sources close to the matter have told the outlet that this chatbot was created to automate support tasks for Xbox users.

This chatbot is said to be connected to Xbox network and ecosystem support documents, allowing it to answer support questions the user may have. The firm reportedly expanded its testing pool recently, which may hint at this “Xbox Virtual Support Agent” eventually taking over support queries for all Xbox customers someday.

In addition to answering support questions, it appears the bot could also handle other tasks. The report mentions that the AI could also be used to process game refunds from Microsoft’s support website.

Haiyan Zhang, general manager of gaming AI at Xbox, told The Verge:

We are testing an Xbox Support Virtual Agent, an internal prototype of an animated character that can query Xbox Support topics with voice or text. The prototype makes it easier and quicker for players to get help with support topics using natural language, taking information from existing Xbox Support pages.

At the moment, it’s said Microsoft is currently internally testing the prototype agent against support questions fielded for Minecraft Realms. It appears Zhang did not say when we could expect to see this chatbot rolled out to the public.

This chatbot is far from the only way the company plans to inject AI into its Xbox platform. The publication says the tech giant is also considering developing AI-powered Copilots for safety and moderation tasks. These assistants would handle content moderation and help with the enforcement and appeals process.

Outside of these projects, most of Microsoft’s AI exploits for Xbox have been focused on the developer side. Late last year, we learned that Microsoft entered into a partnership with AI NPC creator Inworld AI. It’s also believed that the company could be working on its own version of AI-powered image upscaling to compete with Sony’s PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) technology.