Microsoft Officially Retires Cortana Voice Assistant App

Quincy Jon, Tech Times 11 August 2023, 01:08 pm

Microsoft has formally stopped support for its Bing search-based voice control engine on Windows, which has resulted in the retirement of its virtual assistant program, Cortana, in a move marking the transformation of its digital ecosystem.

The decision aims to make room for the incorporation of more advanced AI technology throughout Microsoft's assortment of digital goods and services.

The end of Cortana's support had been predicted for a while, and the tech giant has previously designated the app as "deprecated" in June with a planned termination of support "late in 2023." Cortana is still present in Microsoft Teams, Teams mobile, and Teams displays, but it will be phased out this fall, according to Gizmodo.

Goodbye Cortana

Although Microsoft Cortana will continue to be accessible in Microsoft Outlook for mobile for the foreseeable future, its lifetime essentially ended three years ago when it was removed from smart speakers and stopped working on iOS and Android.

When trying to use the Cortana app on Windows 10 and 11, users are notified that "Cortana in Windows as a standalone app is deprecated," according to The Verge. Microsoft is promoting its Microsoft 365 and Windows 11 Copilot AI solutions instead of Cortana. But for those still using Windows 10, the Bing in-browser AI will be their primary source of search results.

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Cortana debuted in 2014 and was subsequently added to Windows 10 and Xbox platforms. It was intended to compete with virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. However, when innovation in the area of virtual assistants stalled in 2019, Cortana's relevance diminished. As a result, Microsoft and Amazon decided to let customers use Cortana and Alexa interchangeably. When Microsoft decided to take Cortana off of the Xbox interface in 2020, the declining trend continued.

Is Siri Next to Get 'Killed'?

This change occurs when the whole environment of AI-driven technologies is advancing quickly. Apple and other significant IT companies are striving to innovate in this market. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, acknowledged the company's research into several AI technologies, including "generative AI," during a recent investor call. According to 9 to 5 Mac, there are several rumors about Apple's own AI initiatives, which may compete with developments like OpenAI's ChatGPT.

While Google and Microsoft have already released new AI tools, Apple's development in this field is moving more slowly. Despite rumors that Apple is developing its generative AI technology, the company is still some time away from publicizing its products.

Apple's current virtual assistant, Siri, has come under fire from inside the business for what is seen as its stagnation. The matter has sparked conversations about the need for Apple to reevaluate its AI strategy and evolve in pace with market trends.

Microsoft's demise of Cortana and the prospective reinvention of virtual assistants by industry behemoths like Apple imply a more significant revolution in AI-driven digital goods and services as the AI environment transforms.