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Discord’s Clyde AI bot to cease operation from December 1st

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In a surprising move, Discord has announced the deactivation of its experimental AI chatbot, Clyde. The popular communication platform revealed in a support note that Clyde would be shut down at the end of the month, and by December 1st, users will no longer be able to engage with Clyde in DMs, Group DMs, or server chats.

The chatbot, which first underwent testing earlier this year, utilised OpenAI’s models to answer questions and converse with Discord users. Initially, there were plans to integrate Clyde as a fundamental component of the chat and communities app.

However, the sudden decision to deactivate Clyde raises questions about the future direction of Discord’s AI initiatives.

The exact reasons for Clyde’s shutdown remain unclear. Discord has not provided specific details regarding the decision, leaving users and the community speculating about potential motives. As noted by The Verge, one possibility is that Clyde might make a return as a paid Nitro-only feature in the future.

AI-powered Clyde. | Source: Discord

Alternatively, Discord has gleaned enough insights from the testing period, leading them to rethink the necessity of incorporating an AI chatbot into their service.

The company has no official word on why it decided to do away with Clyde.

Discord, known for its innovative features, has been experimenting with various AI functionalities. Among these experiments is the introduction of AI-generated conversation summaries, enabling users to catch up on discussions they may have missed, a particularly beneficial feature for servers spanning multiple time zones.

Furthermore, Discord has positioned its platform as a hub for AI developers, offering funds and resources to support creating AI applications tailored to Discord.

After the generative AI boom, many platforms had announced plans to integrate these AIs into their system. YouTube launched Dream Track, an AI assistant that can generate songs. Microsoft announced GPT-4 powered Security Copilot earlier in May following Copilot for Office.

Several platforms like Khan Academy are also working towards developing their GPT-based chatbots.

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Kumar Hemant

Kumar Hemant

Deputy Editor at Candid.Technology. Hemant writes at the intersection of tech and culture and has a keen interest in science, social issues and international relations. You can contact him here: kumarhemant@pm.me

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