Microsoft Agent Platform

A legacy COM-based API for deploying interactive, animated characters like Peedy and Merlin as conversational UI assistants.

Microsoft Agent Platform utilized ActiveX controls to integrate 2D animated characters into Windows applications and web pages. It combined Speech API (SAPI) 4.0 for text-to-speech with command-and-control voice recognition to facilitate natural language interaction. Developers scripted character behaviors using standard languages (VBScript or C++) to manage lip-syncing, gestures, and word-balloon captions. While deprecated after Windows 7, the technology established the foundational logic for modern conversational agents and digital assistants.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/lwef/microsoft-agent-programmer-s-guide