Microsoft pulls the plug on Xbox's Copilot AI integration

Xbox is scrapping its AI-powered Copilot assistant on mobile and abandoning plans to bring its features to Xbox consoles, as new CEO Asha Sharma says the tool no longer fits where the brand is headed.

The details:

• In a recent internal memo, Sharma told staff Xbox will “begin winding down Copilot on mobile and will stop development of Copilot on console," ending its plans to release the gaming chatbot on Xbox Series X/S later this year just months after it was announced back in March.
• On X, Sharma said Xbox “needs to move faster, deepen our connection with the community, and address friction for both players and developers," and that, as part of that shift, the company will retire features that “don’t align with where we’re headed," explicitly including Copilot.
• Gaming Copilot, which had been in beta in the Xbox app on mobile, Windows 11, and other handheld devices like the ROG Ally, was pitched as an in-game assistant that could answer questions and provide relevant in-game tips to players. This is similar to that of a proposed AI technology patented by Sony, which would provide direct assistance to PS5 users.