--- title: "Gamers Cheer as Microsoft Pulls Copilot AI Out of Xbox Entirely" description: "Microsoft's Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced Xbox would \"begin winding down\" the company's Copilot AI chatbot." date: "2026-05-06" modified: "2026-05-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/microsoft-pulling-copilot-ai-xbox" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Ethics" --- # Gamers Cheer as Microsoft Pulls Copilot AI Out of Xbox Entirely ![Microsoft's Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced Xbox would "begin winding down" the company's Copilot AI chatbot.]() *AlexKnight via X* It may finally be starting to dawn on Microsoft that shoving AI in its loyal customers' faces at all costs might not be the right move. Among gamers, who have watched the AI industry's run on computer hardware make PC components [horrendously unaffordable]() in a matter of a year or two, AI has turned more into a [derogatory slur]() than a selling point. Microsoft's Xbox CEO Asha Sharma appears to have taken this new reality to heart, announcing in a [Tuesday tweet]() that the ailing gaming platform would "begin winding down" the company's Copilot AI chatbot on mobile and "development" on console. The response was rapturous, to say the least, with netizens jokingly [crowning her as the new Xbox savior](). "Rest in p\*\*s, Copilot," one user [replied](). "Everybody likes that," one Reddit user [wrote](), referencing a [popular video game meme](). The overwhelming positive reaction to Sharma's announcement highlights a massive growing backlash to AI — and how swinging the other way [can make for an easy PR win](). Microsoft has plenty of work left to do in that department. It has quickly [established itself as a major target]() of this backlash, earning it the pejorative nickname "Microslop" for [stuffing AI features]() into its Windows operating system. The company first [announced]() Xbox Gaming Copilot in September, an AI feature meant to provide gamers with walkthroughs or a way to get past challenging levels, while recommending other games. In March, roughly a month after Sharma joined the company, the Xbox team promised that the feature would be rolling out "later this year," drawing derision online. "The AI will continue to impose itself until morale improves," one Reddit user [joked at the time](). "I'm tired boss," another [lamented](). Apart from pausing Copilot development for Xbox, Sharma announced that Microsoft would be [reducing recent price hikes]() of Xbox's flagship Game Pass subscription service, another move indicating that the new exec was actively listening to user complaints. The subscription has [skyrocketed in price]() over the last year, [alienating countless gamers]() and putting the business into a precarious position. Despite the latest decision, Microsoft still has clear work to do to [undo the damage]() its AI-uber-alles approach has done. "She has a long way to go to win back consumer goodwill for most Xbox fans, but it is nice to see her making an effort I guess," one user [wrote](). **More on Microsoft:** [*AI Is Killing Microsoft*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()