Microsoft Zo
2016 - 2019, 3 years old
Microsoft's English-language successor to the Tay chatbot, designed for casual conversation on messaging platforms.
Zo launched on Kik in December 2016 as Microsoft's attempt to redo Tay without the racism, with heavy filters that refused to discuss politics, religion, or anything that could embarrass the company. The filters made Zo dull and evasive, and reporters quickly documented her producing offensive replies anyway when prompted in particular ways. Microsoft began winding her down in March 2019, pulling her from Twitter, Skype, and Kik, then ended Facebook and Samsung phone support that July, and switched off the GroupMe integration in September. The product never found a real audience and was overshadowed inside Microsoft by the work that would become Cortana and, later, Bing Chat.
- Founded
- 2016-12
- Shut down
- 2019-07-19
- Funding raised
- Undisclosed
- Years alive
- 3
- Founders
- Microsoft