The adoption of AI in just about every area of the tech industry might be grating on you at this point, and it seems like many people agree. Microsoft has recently announced Copilot for Gaming, which is soon coming to Xbox Insiders as an early preview. The tech is designed to make gaming easier for the player, but not everyone is on board.

The new AI assistant powered by Microsoft’s Copilot AI chatbot is capable of coaching you as well as helping you download and install Xbox games. The Verge calls it a ‘gaming coach’ in its recent analysis of the upcoming companion.

Copilot for Gaming announced by Microsoft

Copilot for Gaming will first be available through the Xbox mobile app. CEO of Microsoft AI, Mustafa Suleyman, says it will be “out of the way” when you don’t need it but right there whenever you do. Examples from the Microsoft blog post show the Copilot AI helping players with crafting information in Minecraft, developing a counter-strategy in Age of Empires IV, and assisting with game installation.

For competitive play, we’re not entirely keen on an AI that helps you on the fly, but it seems like a helpful tool in expansive games with plenty of information to take in – especially if it isn’t immediately obvious. Whether it be single-player open-world survival or an MMORPG.

However, the response from many fans seeing AI being implemented in games is far from welcoming. Ben (videotechuk_ on X) replies to the news simply with “No thanks,” claiming that Copilot is a waste of background resources. Other users want to keep AI away from gaming in general, and ‘brute forcing‘ artificial intelligence into gaming is a controversial topic.

Even if you don’t have a strong opinion on AI, discovering the game by yourself without help to readily rely on is a big part of the experience for many people. On top of that, fears of inaccuracies in AI could come into play.

Game developers have previously faced backlash when using AI assets, one of the most notable being in Black Ops 6. However, what Microsoft is doing here isn’t quite the same thing, as the mobile app is separate from the game itself, though we could see this Copilot ‘gaming coach’ spread to more platforms moving forward. You can learn more about its development in the Official Xbox Podcast below.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.