ChatGPT app resurrects iconic Microsoft mascot from the grave

A blast from the past, Clippy, has returned from the depths in the form of a new ChatGPT powered app for Windows 11 that can be downloaded now.

There’s a new app available on the Microsoft Store that has repurposed Clippy, Microsoft’s mascot from Windows XP, to finally be useful. Clippy was renowned for being a neat idea when it launched alongside Microsoft Office and XP in 2001 but ultimately wasn’t particularly helpful.

Now, developers FireCube have resurrected it and juiced it up with the power of ChatGPT 3.5. It does require your own API key from your account, but the app functions as you’d expect.

It’s a fun novelty but appears to be legitimately helpful for those using OpenAI’s ChatGPT in their daily tasks. The app sits above all other windows and can be pinned to keep it in place while you work.

FireCube has said in the description that other characters, like Bob and Rover, could be on the way in future updates.

New ChatGPT-powered app brings Clippy back to life

Microsoft has been attempting to make Windows “helpful” for the past 20 years now. The latest iteration of this is Windows 11’s latest update to introduce the GPT-4 powered Copilot.

Microsoft has heavily invested in OpenAI, ChatGPT’s creator, and moved quickly to integrate it into Bing and other areas of their business. This includes places where Clippy once lived, like Microsoft Office.

However, it’s not all love and rainbows between the two companies. Microsoft and OpenAI have tensions as they both aim to dominate the current booming AI industry.

ChatGPT has gone from success to success, with the latest version, GPT-4, considered one of the top language model AIs available to the general public right now. Google, meanwhile, intends to outdo OpenAI and Microsoft in a newly revealed plan to rework its AlphaGo project into something similar.