In a new post, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stated that it has ended development of AI tool Copilot for Xbox Series X|S. Additionally, it will “wind down” Copilot on mobile devices.
The announcement comes a few hours after Sharma added members of the CoreAI team that she used to work with to Xbox’s new leadership. Despite initial concerns, it appears that the new additions are to undo the AI initiative initially planned for Xbox platforms. In a full statement, Sharma explains the choice:
“Xbox needs to move faster, deepen our connection with the community, and address friction for both players and developers. Today, we promoted leaders who helped build Xbox, while also bringing in new voices to help push us forward. This balance is important as we get the business back on track. As part of this shift, you’ll see us begin to retire features that don’t align with where we’re headed. We will begin winding down Copilot on mobile and will stop development of Copilot on console.”
In February, former Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer retired and Xbox President Sarah Bond resigned from Xbox. In their place, Asha Sharma took the reins as Xbox CEO and Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty took over as Chief Content Officer of Xbox. Since then, Xbox has lowered the price of Game Pass Ultimate from $29.99 to $22.99 and renamed Microsoft Gaming to simply “Xbox.” This appears to be an attempt from Sharma to return the Xbox brand to its former glory. This initiative will continue on June 7 with the Xbox Games Showcase and Gears of War: E-Day Direct.
