LogInXbox's customer support team gulps nervously as Microsoft confirms they are working on an AI-powered chatbot.
As if there weren't enough already, Xbox users can expect even more interactions with artificial intelligence in the near future, with Microsoft confirming they are currently working on a new AI-powered Xbox chatbot designed to automate customer support tasks.
As reported by Tom Warren, the company has been testing an "embodied AI character" that dynamically responds to Xbox support queries, a development that is allegedly part of Microsoft's broader initiative to infuse AI across its Xbox platform and services. The AI is said to possess knowledge of Microsoft's support documents for the Xbox network and ecosystem, allowing it to address queries and even process game refunds via the support website.
Following the publication, Microsoft officially acknowledged the existence of the chatbot to The Verge, with Haiyan Zhang, General Manager of gaming AI at Xbox, claiming that the AI streamlines support processes for players, making it easier and quicker to seek assistance with support topics using natural language.
"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," Haiyan Zhang's statement reads. "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, the AI is reported to be in its testing phase, with Microsoft expanding the testing pool for the chatbot in recent days, suggesting that its adoption is a matter of "when" rather than "if". You can learn more about the chatbot by reading The Verge's report.
With the planned introduction of the Xbox Support Virtual Agent to manage customer support tasks, an immediate concern arises regarding the fate of Xbox's existing customer support team. Unfortunately, the outlook appears rather bleak, given the precedent set in 2023 when Suumit Shah, the founder of the Indian e-commerce platform Dukaan, fired 90% of the company's customer support team, replacing them with an AI bot.
Considering this example, it appears that we'll soon witness another instance of a multi-billion corporation opting to replace human workers with a cost-saving machine – a discouraging trend that shows no signs of slowing down.
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