Embark on a journey through the latest frontiers of innovation with Microsoft, where groundbreaking developments unfold in tandem. Brace yourself for a dual revelation as Microsoft pioneers advancements on two distinct fronts.
Delve into the realm of gaming with the emergence of an AI-powered chatbot poised to revolutionize the Xbox experience.
Meanwhile, witness the unwavering commitment to excellence as a vigilant Microsoft employee uncovers and mitigates a critical flaw within a Linux utility, averting potential global repercussions.
Join us as we explore the convergence of technology and human ingenuity, shaping the landscape of tomorrow’s digital realm.
Microsoft Reportedly Testing an AI-Powered Chatbot for Xbox
Microsoft might bring an artificial intelligence (AI)-power chatbot to its Xbox platform, as per a report.
The Microsoft is said to be working on developing a tool that can help in automating support tasks for the company.
As per report development aligns with the company’s recent strides in creating deeper integration of AI into its products.
Microsoft recently unveil its first-ever AI PCs with the Microsoft Surface Pro 10 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6, which feature a dedicated Copilot key for easy access to the tool.
As per a report, the Windows maker is now trying to add AI features to its gaming platform.
Citing unname sources familiar with the developer, the publication said that the under-testing AI chatbot is capable of handling support-related queries and responding to them.
The AI model is likely train on the support documents for the Xbox.
It can not only help users with a wide range of troubleshooting issues, and problems with the hardware or the account itself but also process game refunds.
The chatbot is reportedly dub Xbox Support Virtual Agent, and currently, it is just a prototype.
As it is said to be open to a wider testing pool which highlights that it could be roll out to the public soon.
Haiyan Zhang, General Manager of Gaming AI at Xbox told the publication :
“We are testing an Xbox Support Virtual Agent, an internal prototype of an animated character that can query Xbox Support topics with voice or text. The prototype makes it easier and quicker for players to get help with support topics using natural language, taking information from existing Xbox Support pages.”
While a customer support chatbot is not really pushing the edge of innovation when it comes to AI, the report highlights that this could be the beginning of Microsoft’s larger plans of a broader integration of the technology into the Xbox ecosystem.
AI features can also be adds to game content creation, game operations, and AI-generated art and assets for games in future.
The Microsoft is already in the works to develop AI-power non-playing characters (NPCs).
Microsoft Employee Discovers Critical Flaw in Linux Utility, Prevents Widespread Global Impact
Microsoft has issue a critical security advisory concerning a backdoor vulnerability (CVE-2024-3094) found within the widely used XZ Utils file compressor.
This major flaw, with a maximum severity score of 10.0 on the CVSS scale, affects many popular Linux distributions including Fedora, Kali Linux, OpenSUSE, and Alpine Linux.
But, this vulnerability could have had a widespread global impact.
Microsoft Linux developer, Andres Freund, stumble upon the issue while investigating a suspicious 500-millisecond delay in SSH connections.
He uncover a malicious backdoor embedd within the XZ software itself.
Only four out of 63 security vendors on VirtusTotal are correctly flagging this exploit as harmful at the time of writing.
This incident highlights the importance of vigilance, as many users might have overlook the seemingly minor delay.
It also brings to attention the potential vulnerability of open-source software to malicious actors.
If you’re concern about your system’s safety, versions 5.6.0 and 5.6.1 of XZ Utils are confirm to be compromise.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommends using older, verified versions of the software as a precaution.
Many third-party tools can also help identify the vulnerability.
