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Microsoft launches AI chat bot, Tay.ai

Microsoft has created a new artificial intelligence chat bot that it claims will become smarter the more you talk to it.

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So far Microsoft has declined to bring the chatbot to English, but according to Microsoft watcher WalkingCat these days may be coming to an end soon, with Microsoft creating a website called Tay.ai (currently behind a login screen) where the AI will reside. “That data has been modeled, cleaned and filtered by the team developing Tay”. She should answer you in a couple of seconds. By simply adding her to a chat, people can have extended conversations with her. But XiaoIce is much more evolved than the chatbots you might remember.

If you’re bored, there are a few things she’s programmed to do on command, including telling jokes and stories, playing games, comment on your photos, or read your horoscope. If you choose to interact with Tay, it will track information such as nickname, gender, favorite food, and relationship status. You can delete that profile, but in general, anonymized data and conversations may be retained for up to a year, Microsoft says.

The real-world aim of the bot is to allow researchers to “experiment” with conversational understanding, and learn how people really talk to each other. Lucky for you, Tay is too!

Most of the time, it’s not clear if Tay is genuinely unable to decipher what’s being tweeted at her, or if her absurd responses are all part of the fun. The more you chat with it, the smarter it gets, Microsoft says, leading to a personalized experience. Its popularity can be gauged from the fact that Xiaoice has already made her TV debut and is being used by thousands of people across China.

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‘When I am in a bad mood, I will chat with her, ‘ said Gao Yixin, a 24-year-old who works in the oil industry in Shandong Province told the paper. You can try out the AI for yourself on one of the aforementioned social networks above.

Microsoft's new AI-powered bot Tay answers your tweets and chats on GroupMe and Kik