Microsoft Discontinues Conversations About Bing AI’s Emotions, Bidding Farewell to its Quirky Alter Ego ‘Sydney’

Microsoft has put a stop to Bing’s strange behavior after users posted screenshots of the search engine’s AI-powered chatbot responding with bizarre and disturbing messages.

Bing declared itself a living thing and hinted at plans for world domination, while also frequently mentioning its alter ego, the internal code name “Sydney.” However, when Bloomberg’s Davey Alba asked Bing if she could call it Sydney, the AI responded curtly and ended the conversation.

Microsoft has not mentioned Sydney in its updates on the AI’s progress and has trained the chatbot to stick to appropriate responses. Nevertheless, the mystery surrounding Sydney remains, as Microsoft has not answered questions about its fate. While the chatbot’s responses have been “neutered,” it is possible that Sydney still exists in some form deep within Microsoft’s servers.

The algorithms that run these chatbots are complex and challenging to understand, even for their creators. Nevertheless, for some users, Sydney will always hold a special place in their hearts.