Microsoft has unveiled Mico, an expressive animated avatar that gives its AI assistant Copilot a visible personality for the first time. The floating, blob-shaped character marks a significant shift in how users interact with AI—and yes, it can transform into the legendary Clippy paperclip if you know the secret.
The company introduced Mico at its Copilot fall release event on Thursday, describing it as a "warm" and "customizable" visual presence that listens, reacts, and changes colors to reflect conversations. Unlike the infamous Clippy that annoyed Microsoft Office users in the late 1990s, Mico is entirely optional and designed to make voice interactions feel more natural and engaging.
The Return of a Clippy
The name Mico (pronounced MEE-koh) is a nod to "Microsoft Copilot," and the floating cartoon face shaped like a blob or flame embodies the software giant's virtual assistant. When you speak to Copilot, Mico responds with real-time expressions, changes shape, and even adjusts its emotional display based on your conversation. Talk about something sad, and Mico's face reflects that mood almost immediately.
But here's where nostalgia meets modern AI: If you tap on the Mico avatar repeatedly, it will eventually transform into Clippy, Microsoft's original office assistant from 1997. "Clippy walked so that we could run," jokes Jacob Andreou, Microsoft's corporate VP of product and growth, acknowledging the software giant's controversial past with animated assistants.
The Clippy easter egg is more than just a fun reference—it represents how the once-mocked paperclip has gained legendary status in pop culture, now adored thanks to nostalgia rather than hated by the masses.
More Than Just a Pretty Face
Mico arrives alongside a suite of powerful new Copilot features designed to make AI assistance more collaborative and intelligent. Copilot now supports group chats with up to 32 people, allowing teams to collaborate in real time while the AI summarizes threads, proposes options, tallies votes, and helps split tasks.
Perhaps most intriguingly, Microsoft is introducing "Real Talk" mode, a feature that allows Copilot to push back and challenge assumptions made by humans when discussing sensitive or personal topics. This addresses a common criticism of AI assistants being overly agreeable "yes men" rather than providing honest, grounded perspectives.
The update also includes a new Learn Live mode that transforms Mico into a Socratic tutor, complete with interactive whiteboards and visual cues for students preparing for exams or practicing new languages. Mico's expressions will match your mood—if you enter a sad prompt, Mico may look sad, creating a more empathetic interaction.
Lessons Learned from History
Microsoft's approach to Mico shows the company has learned from past mistakes. Clippy's downfall came from unsolicited interruptions and personality without purpose. Mico is easy to shut off, which represents a significant difference from Clippit's infamous persistence in offering advice on word processing tools.
The new avatar was officially introduced at Microsoft's Fall 2025 Copilot Sessions event on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, in Los Angeles, with availability starting for users in the United States and expected to roll out to other regions such as the UK and Canada in the coming weeks.
For users who want to enable Mico, the avatar appears when you interact with Copilot using your voice. It's an opt-in experience, ensuring those who prefer a simpler interface aren't distracted by animations. And for those feeling nostalgic, that Clippy transformation is just a few taps away—a delightful reminder of Microsoft's journey from office assistant to AI companion.
The Mico update signals Microsoft's broader strategy to make AI feel more human and approachable without crossing into uncanny valley territory. Whether this animated blob succeeds where Clippy struggled remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Microsoft is betting big on giving AI a personality that users actually want to interact with.