After this year's earlier AI-related acquisitions that involved Semantic Machines (May), Bonsai (July), and Lobe (September), Microsoft is up for another round. Its latest purchase is XOXCO, a software product design and development studio that has been developing conversational AI and bots so far.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Microsoft-continues-its-AI-offensive-by-acquiring-XOXCO.361851.0.html