Microsoft is also testing a bot that can make phone calls and chat with humans

The bot is currently being tested with over 500 million people in China. A report by The Verge reveals that Microsoft has been testing a similar AI that is capable of making phone calls, with a million people in China. Called Xiaoice, the new Microsoft technology is essentially a social chatbot, that company CEO Satya Nadella recently showcased at an AI event in London. Nadella revealed that Microsoft has been testing Xiaoice in China and has over 500 million ‘friends’, more than 16 channels for users to interact with it through WeChat and other messaging services. “It’s a bit of a celebrity.” While most of the existing tests with Xiaoice have been in relation to teaching it how to chat and send messages, Microsoft is now also working on allowing the bot to make phone calls.