Microsoft launches Mico, an AI assistant to replace Clippy

Microsoft has introduced Mico, a new AI-powered virtual character for Copilot’s voice mode that serves as a modern successor to the infamous Clippy assistant. The bouncing orb responds with real-time facial expressions during conversations and includes memory capabilities to personalize interactions, marking Microsoft’s latest attempt to encourage voice-based computing after previous efforts with Cortana failed to gain traction.

What you should know: Mico represents Microsoft’s third major attempt at creating a digital assistant, following Clippy (1997-2001) and Cortana on Windows Phone.

• The character is now enabled by default in Copilot’s voice mode across the US, UK, and Canada, though users can disable it.
• Mico relies on Copilot’s new memory feature to surface personalized information about users and their work.
• The assistant includes a “Learn Live” mode that functions as a Socratic tutor, using interactive whiteboards and visual cues for educational purposes.

How it works: Mico uses real-time expression technology to create more natural conversational experiences.

• “You can see it, it reacts as you speak to it, and if you talk about something sad you’ll see its facial expressions react almost immediately,” explains Jacob Andreou, corporate VP of product and growth at Microsoft AI.
• The character is designed to make “all the technology fade into the background” so users can “just start talking to this cute orb and build this connection with it.”

The big picture: Mico forms part of Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman’s vision to give Copilot a permanent identity and presence.

• “Copilot will certainly have a kind of permanent identity, a presence, and it will have a room that it lives in, and it will age,” Suleyman said in July.
• The launch coincides with Microsoft’s marketing campaign promoting Windows 11 PCs as “the computer you can talk to.”

Why this matters: Microsoft faces the same fundamental challenge that derailed previous assistant efforts—convincing users that speaking to computers isn’t awkward.

• Cortana was shut down on Windows 11 after failing to gain adoption on Windows 10 PCs.
• Despite Mico’s advanced capabilities compared to Clippy or Cortana, user behavior around voice computing remains a significant hurdle.

What they’re saying: Microsoft executives acknowledge the legacy of their previous attempts while expressing optimism about current AI capabilities.

• “Clippy walked so that we could run,” jokes Andreou, who also teases Easter eggs: “If you poke Mico very very quickly, something special may happen.”
• “We all live in Clippy’s shadow in some sense,” he adds, referencing the lasting cultural impact of Microsoft’s original digital assistant.