Microsoft Introduces Animated Portraits for Copilot
Microsoft is experimenting with a new feature called “Portrait” for its Copilot AI assistant, designed to make voice interactions feel more natural by giving users an animated face to talk to. The feature was announced by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, who noted that user feedback indicates people “feel more comfortable talking to a face when using voice.”
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How Portraits Differ from Previous Avatar Features
While Microsoft previously introduced Copilot Appearance for chatting with animated avatars, Portraits appears to be a simpler, more straightforward implementation. Instead of whimsical 3D characters, Portraits uses 2D animated images that provide a visual presence during conversations. Both features remain experimental and are currently available through Copilot Labs, Microsoft’s testing ground for developing AI capabilities.
Experimental Nature and User Experience Focus
Suleyman emphasized that this is “very much a prototype to help us learn more about how people feel talking to an AI.” Microsoft is actively exploring how different visual representations affect user comfort levels during AI interactions. The company’s research into both 3D avatars and 2D portraits suggests they’re committed to finding the most natural interaction methods.
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Access and Availability
Currently, most Copilot Labs features require a Copilot Pro subscription, which costs $20 per month. The Portrait feature is gradually rolling out to subscribers, meaning even paying users might not see it immediately. Copilot Labs includes several experimental tools beyond Portraits, including capabilities to transform 2D images into 3D objects and screen-sharing features through Copilot Vision.
As reported by our colleagues at imdmonitor.com, this development represents Microsoft’s ongoing effort to humanize AI interactions and make digital assistants feel more approachable. The gradual rollout approach allows Microsoft to gather user feedback and refine the experience before potential wider release.
Would having an animated portrait make your conversations with AI assistants feel more natural? The answer to this question is exactly what Microsoft hopes to discover through this experimental feature.
