Microsoft lets you pick a character for your AI - with its new Copilot Portraits feature

"First, you need a Microsoft account to access Portraits. Second, the option is accessible only through Copilot Labs, which Microsoft uses as a testing ground for new AI experiments. Third, it's available to a limited number of people in the US, UK, and Canada. Fourth, and perhaps most onerous of all, you need a $20-per-month Copilot Pro plan to dive in."

"Assuming you qualify, head to the Copilot website and select the Labs category in the left pane. If Copilot Portraits is ready and waiting for you, you'll see it listed on the screen. Click the Try now button to get started. After checking out all the portraits, choose the one you want to use and pick a voice to accompany it. You can then kick off a conversation."

Copilot Portraits provides 40 stylized animated portraits to appear during Copilot voice chats, representing multiple genders, races, and nationalities while avoiding photorealism. The feature is offered through Copilot Labs and is available to a limited group of users in the US, UK, and Canada. Access requires a Microsoft account and a $20-per-month Copilot Pro subscription; some Copilot Labs experiments remain free. Users can select a portrait and pair it with a Copilot voice, then initiate voice conversations where the chosen portrait animates. The feature aims to give Copilot a visual presence without implying human realism.

Read at ZDNET