AI and bot terms

Avoid talking about AI and bot technology. Instead, focus on the benefits of the technology or what the customer wants to do with it. When it's necessary to talk about the technology itself—such as in content for developers or in event presentations, or to make it clear that the customer is chatting with a bot, not a person—use the terms below.

Before you invent a term, make sure a suitable term doesn't already exist. For more information about creating new terms or using emerging terminology, see Use technical terms carefully.

Learn more See Chatbots and virtual agents for guidelines for creating a new chatbot.

Term	Usage
AI	To refer to the technology itself, use AI for all audiences and in most content, including blogs, websites, and email. Don't spell out artificial intelligence. Use intelligent or intelligence to describe or talk about the benefits of AI. Examples Power BI realizes the promise of AI in intelligent features such as image recognition, text analytics, and automated machine learning. From document translation to intelligent threat detection, AI is enhancing the productivity of more than 120 million commercial Office 365 users.
bot, chatbot, virtual agent	Use bot to refer to an app that performs automated tasks or engages with humans through a conversational interface. If necessary, it's OK to use chatbot to clarify that the bot uses conversation to interact with the customer or virtual agent if the bot provides customer or technical support. After that, use bot. Never refer to Cortana as a bot, chatbot, or virtual agent. Use personal digital assistant instead.
conversation as a platform (CaaP)	Don't use in content for a general audience. OK to use if it's necessary to refer to the computing model in which two or more people or other entities exchange messages. Define the term on the first use, if necessary, to make sure the meaning is clear to your audience. Spell out conversation as a platform whenever possible. If the term appears often, it's OK to use CaaP after the abbreviation is introduced in parentheses. Don't capitalize as CAAP. Don't hyphenate conversation as a platform when used as a modifier.
conversational user interface (CUI)	Avoid the term in customer-facing communications. OK to use if it's necessary to refer to a computing model where people interact with a system in a conversational manner, using text or voice input. Define the term on the first use, if necessary, to make sure the meaning is clear to your audience. Spell out conversational user interface or conversational UI on the first use. Use CUI after the abbreviation is introduced in parentheses.
intelligent, intelligence, intelligent technology	For all audiences and in most content, use intelligent or intelligence to describe or talk about the benefits of AI. In UI, use intelligent technology to describe the underlying technology that powers AI features. Don't use smart technology. Examples To help people do their best work, Microsoft is making AI available to everyone by building intelligent features into our core products. Enhance your sales performance and planning with intelligent applications like Microsoft Dynamics 365 AI for Sales. From document translation to intelligent threat detection, AI is enhancing the productivity of more than 120 million commercial Office 365 users.
Microsoft AI	Use only to refer to the initiative that Microsoft is undertaking to accelerate AI capabilities and infuse intelligence into our offerings. Microsoft AI isn't a technology, feature, product, or service. Don't say things like "Powered by Microsoft AI." Don't spell out artificial intelligence in references to Microsoft AI.
personal digital assistant	Use to refer to a type of bot that has a name, a semblance of a personality, knowledge of a customer's needs and preferences, and the ability to act on those needs and preferences. Use instead of agent, virtual assistant, or intelligent personal assistant to refer to Cortana.
social chatbot, relationship chatbot	Use instead of emotional chatbot or personified chatbot to refer to a chatbot that people have conversations with for entertainment. Social chatbots often have a name and persona. Zo, Xiaoice, and Rinna are the Microsoft social chatbots.
voice-activated device	OK when it's necessary to refer to the category of devices, such as the Harman Kardon voice-activated speaker, that use Cortana.
voice user interface (VUI)	Avoid the term in customer-facing communications. OK to use if it's necessary to refer to a computing model where people use voice input to interact with a system, similar to a conversation. Define the term on the first use, if necessary, to make sure the meaning is clear to your audience. Spell out voice user interface or voice UI whenever possible. If the term appears often, it's OK to use VUI after the abbreviation is introduced in parentheses.