Copilot: just an assistant?

In 1995 I happened to attend a special presentation live in Chicago: Bill Gates took the stage and presented Bob’s project, a new interface that enabled a range of virtual assistants for Windows and Office, such as Rover dog or Clippy. At the time, none of these “animistic” metaphors were successful; in fact, they were rejected by users. Today, thirty years later, we see with the use of generative and conversational Artificial Intelligence a new attempt by Microsoft to create a software assistant, Copilot. Its success is yet to be proven, from multiple perspectives. The use of an artificial assistant in the enterprise can have significant counter indications: the spillover of strategic, personal and business skills and information, the inhibition of employees to perform many intellectual tasks, their consequent loss of skills, and the replacement of employees by so-called “assistants” trained by them. A scenario that needs much attention.