Cortana – some background

The name Cortana is often used in an Artificial Intelligence context at Microsoft: there is the personal assistant called Cortana in Windows 10 (not everywhere available yet) and there is the data suite called Cortana Intelligence.

But where does it come from?

Cortana is the AI that first appeared in the Halo game in 2001, developed by Bungie at that time. She appears as a hologram and is the assistant of the main character in the game called Master Chief. She is usually kept in his helmet. Cortana evolved a lot since 2001. Her voice is done by Jen Taylor. Cortana’s official curriculum.

Here they are, in a dramatic scene from Halo 4, well-known to the Halo fans….