Discord has revealed plans to shut down Clyde, its experimental AI chatbot, by the end of this month.
The decision, announced via a support note, means that users will no longer have access to Clyde in direct messages, group chats, or server discussions starting December 1, IANS reported.
Initially, Discord had been testing Clyde’s AI capabilities earlier in the year, leveraging OpenAI’s models to enable the chatbot to interact with users, answer queries, and engage in conversations.
Intended to be an integral part of Discord’s chat and community experience, Clyde’s deactivation is stated on the support page, thanking users for their support and feedback while promising ongoing efforts to introduce new features and experiences.
While Clyde was an experimental feature, it offered users the ability to explore various topics, acquire knowledge, enjoy interactive games like trivia, and receive recommendations on movies, books, and more, aiming to foster engagement and expression within Discord servers.
The rationale behind Clyde’s sudden discontinuation remains unclear. There’s speculation that it might return as a feature exclusive to Nitro users, or Discord may have reconsidered integrating an AI chatbot within its service.
However, the company has yet to release an official statement regarding Clyde’s shutdown.
Discord has been actively experimenting with AI-driven functionalities, including AI-generated conversation summaries, catering to users across different time zones.
Furthermore, the platform is positioning itself as a hub for AI developers, offering support and resources to aid in the creation of AI applications tailored to Discord’s environment.