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Microsoft is set to introduce an AI ‘easy button.’ Announced in a blog post ahead of next week’s Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft revealed plans to add a new Copilot key to AI-powered Windows PCs. This Copilot key, similar to the Windows key, will be an essential addition to the PC keyboard. The company notes that this is the first major change to the Windows PC keyboard in almost 30 years.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer for consumer products, explained that this change signifies a shift towards a more personalized and intelligent computing experience, seamlessly integrating AI into Windows, from its systems and software to its hardware.
Mehdi highlighted that this addition is a major step towards making 2024 the year of the AI PC. This announcement builds on Microsoft’s previous update from September 2023, where they announced that a new version of Windows 11 would feature Microsoft’s AI companion, Copilot, embedded directly into the operating system.
At the time of the September announcement, Carmen Zlateff, vice president of Windows, was enthusiastic about Copilot’s capabilities, suggesting it could enhance basic functionalities like copy and paste by adding more intelligent features.
In May 2023, Microsoft had initially announced that Copilot would be integrated across all Microsoft 365 applications as part of their software-as-a-subscription (SaaS) model. However, the Windows 11 announcement indicated a deeper integration, offering Copilot to users with the OS installed locally.
The blog post also mentioned that Microsoft’s ecosystem partners would begin adding the Copilot key to Windows 11 PCs, starting from late February through Spring, including the latest Surface devices.
Additionally, there’s a hint at future enhancements aimed at optimizing AI experiences in Windows. Mehdi suggested this would involve an operating system that seamlessly merges local and cloud processing.
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