Bye-bye Cortana, hi generative AI
The writing was on the wall for Microsoft's virtual assistant
Microsoft is shutting down its virtual assistant application, Cortana, starting this month, as the company shifts its focus to more advanced AI technologies. This includes Bing Chat, which is similar to ChatGPT, and other AI-powered productivity features integrated into Windows and the Edge web browser.
Cortana will no longer be supported as a standalone app in Windows, but it will continue to be available in certain Microsoft products like Outlook mobile and Teams. However, these experiences may also be phased out in favor of Bing Chat, which is set to be integrated into Microsoft 365 software.
The company suggests users to explore other options like Windows 11 voice access, Bing, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Windows Copilot for AI assistance.
Given Microsoft’s massive investment in OpenAI and the sometimes controversial history of Cortana since its inception in 2014, the writing was (definitely) on the wall.
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