We wanted Cortana to be funny but not shame people: Microsoft

The popularity of virtual assistants in the digital-led world is soaring. But Microsoft’s Cortana, first released in 2014, is falling out of favour. Microsoft acknowledged it as much when it announced it would decouple search and Cortana in Windows 10. This means voice queries would be handled separately from the text typed in the search box. The change will be implemented in April when Windows 10 gets a major update.

While artificial intelligence and algorithms formed the backbone of Cortana, the virtual assistant’s personality and mannerisms were crafted by Microsoft executives Jonathan Foster and Deborah Harrison, among others. Foster is the principal content experiences manager. He started out in the entertainment industry writing scripts for films and television in Hollywood before joining Microsoft a decade back.