Microsoft is reportedly prepping Cortana, the artificially intelligent character from the "Halo" video game series, to debut on Apple and Google mobile devices.
The move is part of Microsoft's plan to expand its services outside the Windows platform, Reuters reported.
Cortana first appeared in the 2001 game "Halo: Combat Evolved" to provide gamers with tactical information. Microsoft then tailored the character as an intelligent personal assistant for the company's Windows Phone 8.1 in 2014.
Now, Microsoft is planning to branch out by developing Cortana as a standalone app. Once the app has been unveiled to the public, iOS and Android users can download it to their devices as their own personal assistant. This means Microsoft will directly pit Cortana against Siri, the personal assistant of its competitor Apple.
According to Eric Horvitz, the managing director of Microsoft Research, one of the key features of Cortana is going through the emails of users.
"This kind of technology, which can read and understand emails, will play a central role in the next roll out of Cortana, which we are working on now for the fall time frame," the executive told Reuters.
For example, if a user books a flight online, Cortana can read the emails from the airline and notify him or her regarding the upcoming trip.
The news site Cinema Blend noted that the new version of Cortana is reminiscent of the 2013 film "Her" where Scarlett Johansson provided the voice for Samantha, an intelligent and evolving operating system.
The development of Cortana as a personal assistant outside the Windows system is part of Microsoft's artificial intelligence project called Einstein.
Horvits said that through this program, Microsoft aims to deliver a more personalized service to the consumers.
"We're defining the competitive landscape...of who can provide the most supportive services that make life easier, keep track of things, that complement human memory in a way that helps us get things done," he said.
Microsoft did not provide a specific release date as to when the Cortana app will be released.
