Microsoft Introduces 'Copilot Portraits', An AI Animation Feature That Can Interact With Voices

Microsoft's Copilot Portraits animation (photo: dock. Microsoft)

JAKARTA Microsoft introduced a new feature called Copilot Portraits. This feature will display an animated portrait to support the voice experience already in the digital assistant.

This experimental feature at Copilot Labs is only available in the US, UK, and Canada. Microsoft provides 40 human avatars of different styles. Avatara will respond to user questions with natural expressions during real-time voice conversations.

"We heard some users feel more comfortable talking to their faces while using voice," wrote Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, on his X account. "(then) we launched a new Copilot Labs experiment that lets you speak with an animated portrait."

For users who use Copilot Labs, they can activate their features by opening the Portrait section on the platform. After that, search for and select a portrait and voice that suits your preferences.

If you have chosen the right one, users can immediately start a voice conversation with the animated character. During the Copilot Portraits use, Microsoft guarantees the security and privacy of its users.

"Every portrait is deliberately made stylish and photorealistic, offering visual variations while offering trusted Copilot intelligence and security features," Microsoft wrote on its official website. The company emphasizes that this feature is limited to users 18 years and over.

Microsoft also announced the technology they use in developing this AI-based animation. Through the Copilot server on Discord, Microsoft said that it managed to create a complicated animation thanks to VASA-1.

"This experiment utilizes VASA-1, advanced AI technology developed by Microsoft Research," Microsoft said. "This innovation allows us to produce facial expressions, head movements, and natural lip synchronization from just one image without requiring complicated 3D modeling."