Microsoft has unveiled the most major improvement to the Windows keyboard in thirty years: a new AI-powered feature for laptops and PCs running Windows 11 called “Copilot key.” The company’s aim for “the year of the AI PC” aligns with this move.
Microsoft Updates Windows Keyboard With First New Key in 30 Years
For those who don’t know, Copilot is an AI chatbot that was introduced in February 2023 and is powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology. Large language models (LLMs) with data from the Microsoft Graph and Microsoft 365 applications serve as its foundation.
Microsoft CEO and Consumer Chief Marketing Officer Yusuf Mehdi revealed in a blog post on Thursday that the firm would start rolling out a new Copilot key on Windows 11 PCs in 2024.
According to Mehdi, this update aims to bring about a substantial transition toward a future of computing that is more personal and intelligent, where artificial intelligence (AI) will be seamlessly integrated into Windows across all system, silicon, and hardware levels. Mehdi continues, “The new key will eventually make using Copilot in your daily life seamless.”
Mehdi noted, “We added the Windows key to the PC keyboard almost 30 years ago, enabling people all over the world to interact with Windows.” “We see this as another pivotal point in our relationship with Windows, as Copilot serves as the gateway to the PC AI space.”
To make it easier for users to use AI functionality, the new Copilot key will be positioned on the right side of the keyboard, snuggled between the Alt and left arrow keys. But depending on the OEM and various markets, the key’s location may change.
When the key is pressed, the built-in Windows Copilot in Windows 11 will open. It has a chatbot similar to ChatGPT that can assist users with creating documents, emails, and presentations, adding material to already-existing papers, summarizing texts, and much more.
The Copilot key will likely be shown off by Microsoft on a number of the newest Windows 11 PCs from its ecosystem partners in the days preceding and during the forthcoming CES 2024 in Las Vegas, which takes place from January 9–12. But the laptops won’t be available until later this month or in the spring, including on future Surface devices.
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