PC keyboards will soon have new keys, the first major change in 30 years!

The launch of these new keys for Copilot marks the first significant change to the Windows PC keyboard layout in nearly three decades. Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s director of marketing, hailed the significance of the moment in a blog post, comparing it to the introduction of the Windows key nearly 30 years ago! This profoundly changed the way users interacted with their computers. Copilot Key will become the main entry point into the world of AI on PC.

A touch of AI on the keyboard

This key will replace the menu key (application key) launched just like the Windows key. It will be located next to the right Alt key on most keyboards, although its location may vary depending on the manufacturer and markets. Microsoft added a dedicated Office key to its own keyboards in 2019, a similar approach taken with CoPilot. Unlike the Office suite, the Assistant is integrated into Windows by default: manufacturers will certainly not fail to place it prominently on their keyboards.

The Copilot key directly activates the Windows 11 Copilot panel. This feature combines a chatbot similar to ChatGPT, a native assistant capable of answering queries and performing actions within the operating system. If Copilot is not available in the country, the key will start a Windows search instead. For now, this key will only be used to activate Assistant, but it cannot be ruled out that Microsoft may consider using it in combination with other keys to create keyboard shortcuts in the future.

The publisher remains coy about OEM partners that will integrate the Copilot button, but numerous announcements during CES made it clear that many manufacturers have jumped on the train. Yusuf Mehdi suggests that the Copilot button will start appearing on new Windows 11 PCs from their biggest partners, with availability expected through January and spring, of course on future PCs in the Surface range.

Rumors have been swirling about the launch of new Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 models this spring, and the confirmed presence of a dedicated Copilot key on these terminals seems to herald big changes.

The deployment of this new key is part of an all-AI strategy that Microsoft will expand through 2024. The manager clarifies that this integration of AI will make computing more personalized and intelligent, simplifying and “amplifying” the user experience. Microsoft envisions a future where AI is seamlessly integrated into Windows, from the system to the hardware and silicon components.

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