Microsoft says it’s making the first significant change to the Windows keyboard in 30 years by introducing a Copilot key that will allow users to access Windows 11’s AI features.
This is the first major change to the keyboard since the Windows key was introduced in 1994, the tech giant says.
The Copilot keyboard is Microsoft’s latest AI innovation
Microsoft launched Copilot for Windows last May as part of a suite of AI-powered assistants, or Copilots, that it rolled out across its product portfolio last year. Copilots are based on technology from OpenAI, the AI lab and developer of ChatGPT in which Microsoft has invested billions of dollars.
The Windows Copilot is an assistant that allows operating system users to ask the system questions in natural language, as well as launch applications and perform tasks. It already has a button on the Windows 11 taskbar, and users of new machines will be able to activate it via a physical button on their keyboard.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s executive vice president and chief consumer marketing officer, described the move as a “transformational moment” in Microsoft’s AI journey. He said: “The introduction of the Copilot key marks the first significant change to the Windows PC keyboard in almost three decades. We believe this will make it easier for people to participate in the AI transformation.
Mehdi added that the Copilot key “joins the Windows key as an essential part of the PC keyboard.” When pressed, it will “invoke the Copilot experience in Windows to make it easier to engage Copilot in your daily life,” he added.
Windows 11 and the birth of PC AI
Microsoft says the development will help simplify the user experience as it prepares to usher in the era of AI PCs – desktop machines capable of running artificial intelligence models locally. Vendors like Intel and Qualcomm have already offered such machines, and other big market players like Dell are expected to come to the party in 2024.
Mehdi said Microsoft “will continue to build Windows to be the destination for the best AI experiences,” and added that “this will require an operating system that blurs the lines between local processing and the cloud.”
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New PCs with the Copilot key are expected to be announced at CES 2024, which will be held in Las Vegas next week, Microsoft said. These machines are expected to be available “from late February through spring” and will include the next editions of Microsoft’s Surface line of devices.
However, because Copilot for Windows is not yet rolling out to all Windows 11 users in all regions, even if you own one of these machines, not all system functions may be available. “When Copilot for Windows is not available or enabled on the device, pressing the Copilot key will launch Windows Search,” Microsoft said.
Redmond hopes to use Copilot as an incentive to encourage more users to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11, with technical support for the former set to end in 2025. So far, adoption of the new operating system has been low , with Windows 10 still accounting for 67.4% of all Windows installations worldwide, compared to 26.5% for Windows 11.
Microsoft says it’s making the first significant change to the Windows keyboard in 30 years by introducing a Copilot key that will allow users to access Windows 11’s AI features.
This is the first major change to the keyboard since the Windows key was introduced in 1994, the tech giant says.
The Copilot keyboard is Microsoft’s latest AI innovation
Microsoft launched Copilot for Windows last May as part of a suite of AI-powered assistants, or Copilots, that it rolled out across its product portfolio last year. Copilots are based on technology from OpenAI, the AI lab and developer of ChatGPT in which Microsoft has invested billions of dollars.
The Windows Copilot is an assistant that allows operating system users to ask the system questions in natural language, as well as launch applications and perform tasks. It already has a button on the Windows 11 taskbar, and users of new machines will be able to activate it via a physical button on their keyboard.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s executive vice president and chief consumer marketing officer, described the move as a “transformational moment” in Microsoft’s AI journey. He said: “The introduction of the Copilot key marks the first significant change to the Windows PC keyboard in almost three decades. We believe this will make it easier for people to participate in the AI transformation.
Mehdi added that the Copilot key “joins the Windows key as an essential part of the PC keyboard.” When pressed, it will “invoke the Copilot experience in Windows to make it easier to engage Copilot in your daily life,” he added.
Windows 11 and the birth of PC AI
Microsoft says the development will help simplify the user experience as it prepares to usher in the era of AI PCs – desktop machines capable of running artificial intelligence models locally. Vendors like Intel and Qualcomm have already offered such machines, and other big market players like Dell are expected to come to the party in 2024.
Mehdi said Microsoft “will continue to build Windows to be the destination for the best AI experiences,” and added that “this will require an operating system that blurs the lines between local processing and the cloud.”
Content from our partners
New PCs with the Copilot key are expected to be announced at CES 2024, which will be held in Las Vegas next week, Microsoft said. These machines are expected to be available “from late February through spring” and will include the next editions of Microsoft’s Surface line of devices.
However, because Copilot for Windows is not yet rolling out to all Windows 11 users in all regions, even if you own one of these machines, not all system functions may be available. “When Copilot for Windows is not available or enabled on the device, pressing the Copilot key will launch Windows Search,” Microsoft said.
Redmond hopes to use Copilot as an incentive to encourage more users to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11, with technical support for the former set to end in 2025. So far, adoption of the new operating system has been low , with Windows 10 still accounting for 67.4% of all Windows installations worldwide, compared to 26.5% for Windows 11.