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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Matt O'Brien

Microsoft hopes Mico succeeds where Clippy failed as tech companies warily imbue AI with personality

AI Characters Microsoft - (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Clippy, the animated paper clip that annoyed Microsoft Office users nearly three decades ago, might have just been ahead of its time.

Microsoft introduced a new artificial intelligence character called Mico (pronounced MEE'koh) on Thursday, a blob-shaped cartoon face that will embody the software giant's Copilot virtual assistant and marks the latest attempt by tech companies to imbue their AI chatbots with more of a personality.

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