Microsoft’s ‘AI Clippy’ Gives Me Goosebumps
Here’s some breaking news: I’ve always loved Paperclip. Maybe it’s because I was an only child, but despite the ineffectiveness of the animated paperclip (officially known as “Clippit”) as an advisor, I loved having a friend on my desk while I was working on an essay. Now Microsoft is bringing that energy back, but in AI form. And finally, I think I understand the hatred for Paperclip.
A character named Miko is included in the fall release of Copilot , which includes a dozen new updates. Some of these are already anticipated: a new memory feature that ensures each new conversation doesn’t start from scratch, and improved integration with third-party apps like Gmail or Google Calendar. But there are also some more original ideas, such as the use of Copilot mode in Edge (originally released in July), which allows you to resume old browsing sessions right where you left off , even if you’ve closed all tabs.
The most surprising update, however, was undoubtedly Microsoft’s return to its old trends in animated mascots. Miko isn’t the first AI companion, nor is he the most expressive. Grock will sell you a real anime girl , if you’re interested. But it truly harks back to a lineage I once thought long forgotten (and now realize, perhaps with good reason).
Like Clippy and unlike Grock, Miko leans more toward cuteness, appearing simply as a small, smiling, incorporeal creature. It’s completely optional, but the idea is that he interacts with Copilot’s voice control, creating the feeling of being listened to, changing color and reacting depending on the tone of the conversation.
If all this sounds a bit vague, that’s because Mico (and the rest of Copilot’s fall release) is still in development. I don’t have access to it yet, so the best I can do is watch this video published by Microsoft .
The idea, however, is clearly to make AI more friendly. Microsoft announced Miko in a post titled “Human-Centered AI,” emphasizing the character’s debut alongside a new “real-world conversation” mode, which, according to the company, “gently challenges assumptions, adapts to your mood, and helps conversations foster growth and connection.”
And I think this is where I’m finally starting to raise my eyebrows a little. On the other hand, in the Microsoft video, Miko doesn’t seem to speak, just performs a simple animation. He won’t build a parasocial relationship with you to the same extent as Elon Musk’s animated artificial girlfriend, who has a romance meter to level up. On the other hand, it still seems like a way to lower my guard.
Describing Mico to The Verge , Microsoft’s vice president of product and development for AI, Jacob Andreu, said, “All the technology fades into the background, and you just start talking to this cute little ball and building a connection with it.”
But what does it mean to be “associated” with a person who is inextricably linked to a product?
Essentially, with Mico, you now see a big smiley face every time you interact with Microsoft’s AI, even though it continues to try to peek at your screen , redirect your web traffic , or load your computer with features that, according to TechRadar testing, can reduce performance. Perhaps, in fact, I should be more careful when interacting with AI and not let this technology fade from my memory.
For example, Mico’s release came a week after Microsoft announced its ” Make every Windows 11 PC an AI PC ” initiative. Unsurprisingly, the company is trying to make it seem friendly, touting features that perform actions for you using simple voice commands. But am I comfortable with a future where I simply tell my computer what I want, with little to no input, and expect the company that manages my cloud computing to understand what that means?
To some extent, I see this as a convenience. But it also leaves me at Microsoft’s mercy, and it’s hard not to see Miko’s friendly smile as a way to portray this as something good, rather than a loss of control. At the very least, Clippy might have been sarcastic.
Perhaps I’m exaggerating, but in the same blog post where Microsoft introduced Mico, the company also unveiled ” Copilot for Health ” and “Learn Live.” In the former, the company actively encourages you to ask its AI about your health, while in the latter, Copilot supposedly acts as a “voice tutor using the Socratic method.” Microsoft promises that Copilot for Health at least uses data from credible sources like Harvard Health, but as the AI continues to face security threats and accusations of model failures , I remain skeptical about letting it help with self-diagnosis or my child’s education.
And maybe it’s my fault. When I finally get my hands on Copilot’s fall release, it might justify its claims. But Miko is precisely the kind of mascot meant to dispel skepticism while it’s still alive. He’s beneficial to Microsoft, but “corporate-focused AI” and “human-focused AI” are not the same thing.
At best, I think you’ll find Mico unpleasant, as is often the case with forced positivity. But at worst, it will feel like the first attempt to present your computer as a friend you turn to with requests, rather than a machine you own. As users fight for repair rights and warn of declining tech literacy among those who spend all their time on computers, it’s hard not to see Copilot as a friend rather than something more sinister.
The connection with Clippy isn’t just in my head, for that matter. Andreu also told The Verge, “Clippy left so we [Miko] could escape.” But as Halloween approaches, I’d like to remind Microsoft that sometimes it’s better to die.