Xbox's use of AI could mean the end of gaming guides and YouTube videos

Minecraft Asset (Minecraft) — Artificial intelligence is gaining speed in gaming (Minecraft)

Microsoft has announced that its Copilot AI advisor will be visiting Minecraftwhich could be the first step in making game guides obsolete.

In late 2023, Microsoft fully embraced artificial intelligence when the Xbox maker entered into a partnership with Inworld AIwith the aim of creating an 'AI toolset to help and support creators in designing dialogues, stories and quests.'

A year later and now, Microsoft has announced that its Copilot AI system will be added to Minecraft, with other games expected to follow.

The AI system is designed to advise and help players if they get stuck, by analyzing their inventory and monitoring how they play – which sounds like bad news for the game guide YouTube channels.

In a video demonstration, the player says he wants to make a sword, to which the AI responds, “To make a sword, you need some materials.” Can you open your inventory? Just press 'E' on your keyboard.'

The AI proceeds to identify the player's inventory and concludes that he needs some more wood or stone to make a sword.

Another video, shared by the Microsoft Copilot Twitter account, shows the player being attacked by zombies. When asked what the player is, the AI says:

'Oh no! It's a zombie. Run, you have to get rid of it quickly. Sprint away, or quickly build a tower of blocks straight up to get out of his reach.'

Real personality. Effortless interactions. The ability to see what we see

I've long argued that AIs with EQ, IQ, and AQ are coming. Here's the first real glimpse of what it will feel like.

It's a magical experience: smart, intuitive, natural and useful.

— Mustafa Suleyman (@musstafasuleyman) May 20, 2024

The announcement doesn't say when the Copilot AI will be added to Minecraft other than to say it will be “available soon,” but Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman adds:

'Microsoft changed computing history by inventing a new category: the personal computer or PC. Now we're reinventing PCs for the AI era, moving from personal computing to truly personal intelligence.

“Today we're launching a new product category: Copilot+ PCs, the biggest update to Windows in its 40-year history, the fastest and most powerful AI-ready PCs anywhere.”

If the AI works as well as in the demonstrations, when fully added to Minecraft it could make online game guides and YouTube tutorials obsolete.

At the moment only Minecraft support has been added, but if successful it seems inevitable that this will be added to all games, especially given how excited Microsoft is about AI in general at the moment.