Microsoft still needs to convince the average consumers of the viability of its pre-generative models in the form of its AI-branded tool Copilot, and it looks like it’s gotten its PC manufacturing partners to help out by dedicating space on their keyboards for it.
Earlier today Microsoft announced the Copilot key which will be coming to select Windows 11 powered devices in 2024. Despite Copilot being currently held in ‘Preview’, Microsoft and its partners are full steam ahead with a vision of its functionality being as fundamental as the last time the company made such a bold in 1995.
When Microsoft released Windows 95, it did so as a wave of new PCs started shipping with a new dedicated key binding the Start Menu to the Windows logo.
The introduction of the Copilot key marks the first significant change to the Windows PC
keyboard in nearly three decades. We believe it will empower people to participate in the AI
transformation more easily. The Copilot key joins the Windows key as a core part of the PC
keyboard and when pressed, the new key will invoke the Copilot in Windows experience to
make it seamless to engage Copilot in your day to day. Nearly 30 years ago, we introduced the
Windows key to the PC keyboard that enabled people all over the world to interact with
Windows. We see this as another transformative moment in our journey with Windows where
Copilot will be the entry point into the world of AI on the PC.
Yusuf Mehdi Microsoft Executive Vice President, Consumer Chief Marketing Office
Microsoft has big plans for Copilot in 2024 as it suits up to add new chips with dedicated NPUs in its own first party Surface PCs as well as leaning on other PC OEMs who will be using similar chipsets in a multitude of device releases this year. CES us
Microsoft has also hinted at a more AI focused Windows release in the future, which may or may not be officially titled Windows 12.
Back during an April event in 2023, Microsoft highlighted several on-device instanced of Copilot that differ from its current implementation that would make it more useful, such as localized search, device functionality assistance, file and program contexed suggestions and more.
With dedicated NPUs onboard in 2024 devices, Microsoft inches closer to evolving Copilot beyond its current glorified web browser functionality to something that may truly warrant a dedicated key.
With Copilot being less ubiquitous in use than the Start Menu to date, new devices that come with the Copilot key but without software support for the platform will be rerouted to Windows Search. As Microsoft plans to backport its AI platform to Windows 10 alongside Extended Support Service options, the company will most likely coalesce Windows Search with Copilot over time to validate the presence of the key in the future.
Over the next few days, we expect to see a host of Microsoft PC partners parade several devices with this new Copilot key that looks to replace the menu key on most keyboards. Anecdotally, I’ve only accidentally touched the menu key perhaps a handful of times. It’ll be interesting to see how this change affects thirty years of muscle memory for some Windows users out there.
