Microsoft is setting its sights on 2024 to be the year of the AI PC. In a bold move, the tech giant has announced a new addition to the standard keyboard: the Copilot key. This physical key will join the familiar Windows key, along with its companions Control, Alt, and the often-ignored Insert key.
“The introduction of the Copilot key marks the first significant change to the Windows PC keyboard in nearly three decades,” explains Yusuf Mehdi, Executive Vice President & Consumer Chief Marketing Officer at Microsoft. “We believe it will empower people to participate in the AI transformation more easily.”
This new key will take the place of the right Control key on traditional PC keyboards, nestled between the Alt key and the left arrow key. When pressed, it will invoke the Copilot in Windows experience, seamlessly incorporating AI into everyday tasks.
In areas where Copilot is not available, the key will instead launch Windows Search. The first keyboards with this new key will debut at CES in Las Vegas this year, with shipments expected in late February. Microsoft, along with its partners like AMD and Intel, envision a future where much of AI processing can be shifted to local silicon, creating exciting new opportunities for AI integration on the Windows PC.
“Never one to exaggerate, Microsoft sees this as a transformative moment in our journey with Windows, where Copilot will be the entry point into the world of AI on the PC,” states Mehdi.
But not to worry, your old keyboard will still function as before. And for those with customizable keyboards, it may be possible to remap the right Control key to work as the Copilot key. Of course, you could also choose to ignore the whole thing altogether.
