Microsoft shows off Mico, its attempt at 'human-centered AI'

[Perplexity AI, Microsoft Copilot and OpenAI ChatGPT mobile app icons]
Robert Way

Amid a push to make its generative artificial intelligence Copilot app friendlier, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/MSFT]) unveiled a new character on Thursday, known as Mico.

Mico, which gets its name from combining the words Microsoft and Copilot, is expressive, customizable, and warm, Microsoft said in a blog post. In doing so, the Windows maker is taking aim at partner and competitor OpenAI's (OPENAI [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/OPENAI]) ChatGPT, Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/GOOG]) (NASDAQ:GOOGL [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/GOOGL]) Gemini and other chatbots.

“A lot of people are evaluating what a relationship with an AI companion should look like and feel like,” Microsoft AI executive Mustafa Suleyman wrote in the blog post [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/blog/2025/10/23/human-centered-ai/]. “In this release we’re adding features to make Copilot more personal and more adaptable to your needs and style, while holding true to our brand values. Copilot is designed to be empathetic and supportive, not sycophantic. It will push back on you sometimes, but always respectfully. This is AI that listens. That learns. That earns your trust.”

Suleyman co-founded Inflection AI along with Karén Simonyan. Both of them joined Microsoft in March 2024, with Suleyman hired [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4087860-microsoft-unveils-new-ai-hub-in-london-led-by-newly-hired-suleyman] to run the tech giant's consumer AI unit. Suleyman previously founded DeepMind, which was bought by Google.

In addition to the Micro update, Microsoft made several updates to Copilot, including deeper integration with Outlook, as well as Google. Copilot is also getting updated in Microsoft's Edge browser. Once it receives a user's permission, Copilot can see and use reasoning on tabs to summarize and compare information and take action, such as booking a hotel.

Other Copilot updates are coming to Windows, Pages and Copilot search, Suleyman added.

The updates are now live in the U.S. and will be rolled out in the U.K., Canada and “beyond” in the next few weeks, Suleyman explained.

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