With hopes of declaring 2024 as the “year of the AI PC,” Microsoft has revealed its intention to integrate a new key dedicated to Copilot. This physical key, slated to join the roster of familiar keys like Windows, Control, Alt, and the underutilized Insert key, is set to occupy the space previously held by the right Control key on standard PC keyboards. Positioned between the Alt key and the left arrow key, this Copilot key is intended to provide quick access to Copilot in the Windows experience.
Yusuf Mehdi, Executive Vice President & Consumer Chief Marketing Officer at Microsoft, mentions in the announcement, “The introduction of the Copilot key marks the first significant alteration to the Windows PC keyboard in nearly three decades. We anticipate it will facilitate easier engagement with AI transformations. Serving as an integral component alongside the Windows key, pressing the new key will seamlessly activate the Copilot within your day-to-day tasks.”
In areas where Copilot isn’t accessible, the Copilot key will instead trigger Windows Search. The initial keyboards incorporating this new key are set to debut at the upcoming CES in Las Vegas, with shipping likely commencing in late February.
This move by Microsoft underlines its fervent commitment to the AI realm, as the addition of a new button—following the Windows logo key’s appearance in 1994—is indicative of its dedication to the AI-driven future.
Microsoft, in collaboration with chip partners such as AMD and Intel, envisions a future where a significant portion of AI processing tasks will be shifted to local hardware, potentially enabling novel AI encounters on Windows PCs. The company’s restrained language doesn’t overstate this transition but rather identifies it as a pivotal moment for Windows, with Copilot poised to serve as the gateway to the PC’s AI landscape.
Thankfully, your existing keyboards will maintain their current functionalities. For users with customizable keyboards, there might be an option to reassign the functionality of the right Control key to emulate the Copilot key. Of course, ignoring this entire change is also an option.