Microsoft’s first big Xbox AI feature is here, and it’s… a chatbot. The animated virtual assistant will handle online support questions, but sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell me it’s part of a larger effort from within the company to cautiously bring AI features to the Xbox.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella refocused the entire company on AI, but Xbox was the clear exception when it came to visible AI features. While the software giant has used AI models to moderate its Xbox platform for years, we haven’t seen Microsoft rush to integrate Copilot into the Xbox dashboard like it did with Windows and Office. I understand the hesitation. The team is well aware of the negative perception of AI features by players and creators, and Microsoft wants to make this right.

Along with the Xbox chatbot, Microsoft plans to update its Xbox dashboard with AI-powered natural language search soon. This new search feature, which appeared quietly in a Xbox support articlewill allow you to search for “puzzle games for kids” and get relevant results instead of having to search for the exact title of the game. This updated search experience started rolling out recently and will be widely available in the coming weeks. It will also handle misspellings and acronyms, making it much easier to search for Xbox games you want to download and play.