Microsoft shares study of gamers that reckons a whopping 79% are "open to help from AI," but let's all stop to consider the sample size: 1,500 people

Xbox has published a report from Edelman Data & Intelligence, "commissioned" by Microsoft, about the "Culture of Play" and how people feel about games. Behind highlights like 68% of respondents saying gaming is "more emotionally fulfilling than their other hobbies," a curious and less visible result stood out to me: 79% of the people surveyed "are open to help from AI."

I didn't see this statistic mentioned in the Xbox Wire blog post sharing the report or in its front-facing infographic. Instead, I found it in a folder of assets offering more details from the report. I've reached out to Microsoft for comment on how "help from AI" was defined and presented in the survey.

Are we talking about a normal, video game-y AI companion offering helpful tips that spoil puzzles approximately four seconds after you find them? Presumably not.

Are we talking about integrated AI companion apps like Microsoft Copilot and Gaming Copilot, which are said to offer handy tips and recommendations but which I've found to be a more reliable source of needless disruptions?

Or are we talking about the idea of letting integrated AI play a game for you – something Sony actually pondered in an old patent?

Update: A Microsoft spokesperson clarified that, "‘Open to help from AI’ refers to the 79% of players surveyed who selected at least one AI feature they’d find helpful in gaming. Only 21% said AI wouldn’t be helpful to them.”

One thing we do know is that this survey was served to 1,500 adult gamers in the US, which is a relatively small sample size all things considered. 79% of that gives us just 1,185 gamers who are apparently open to AI assistance, whatever that means. Personally, I would only like AI companions to help me find a way to uninstall them.

I'll give Microsoft one thing, it's unquestionably right about this bit from its blog post: "We spend more time than ever scrolling, swiping, and streaming. Most of it passes by in a blur, and habits like doom-scrolling fill the time but leave us feeling empty."

Games, then, can be more meaningful. Three in four survey respondents said they "feel they are doing something meaningful" when gaming, 6 in 10 "say they've made lifelong friends through gaming," and 71% hope to "pass their love of gaming to the next generation." If you're bothered by inconsistencies in how percentages are being used, please come join me in the angry dome.

This was apparently a 20-minute online survey conducted between June 25 and July 2, 2025. "The audiences analyzed in this report include three distinct segments: Core Players (who spend most of their entertainment time gaming and following gaming news closely), Enthusiastic Players (who spend a quarter to half their entertainment time gaming and casually follow trends), and Casual Players (who primarily play on mobile or tablet and rarely follow gaming news)," Microsoft explains.

Interestingly, 87% of surveyed Xbox owners "say gaming is one of their main hobbies – it's part of who they are." I'm assuming the other 13% are more casual fans, or maybe folks who've come to treat one of their consoles as a glorified streaming machine. We've all been there.

Here are a few other interesting findings:

• 54% of respondents "want games that help them relax"
• 52% "say gaming helps them stay connected to friends"
• 49% "want games that are challenging"
• 46% "want a sense of accomplishment"
• 44% "want a good story"
• Finally, 65% "say gaming is more fun today than when they first started"

Microsoft reports Xbox hardware revenue down 29%, and 1% growth in content and services like Game Pass blunted by "a decline in first-party content."