Microsoft engineers in China released the experimental Xiaoice (pronounced “Shao-ice,” meaning “Little Bing”) in 2014. The chatbot prioritizes “emotional intelligence” and “empathy.” It uses advanced natural language processing and deep learning to continuously improve its conversational abilities. Microsoft built Xiaoice on what the company calls an “Empathetic Computing Framework.”
As of 2020, Xiaoice had attracted over 660 million active users globally, making it the world’s most popular personality chatbot. It’s been deployed on more than 40 platforms in countries such as China, Japan, and Indonesia, as well as previously in the US and India.
Microsoft researchers modeled Xiaoice to present as a teenage girl, leading many Chinese users to form strong emotional connections with it. Disturbingly, some 25% of Xiaoice users have told the chatbot, “I love you,” with millions of users forming what they think is a “relationship” with Xiaoice — at the expense of pursuing relationships with other people.