Copilot Button: A Major Change to Windows Keyboards After Three Decades

Microsoft is rolling out a significant innovation to the design of keyboards for Windows PCs and laptops this year - introducing the Copilot button. This feature marks the first major change to the Windows keyboard layout in the last thirty years, ushering in what has been dubbed 'the year of the AI PC' by the tech giant.

The Copilot Button - A Gateway to AI

The new Copilot button will be replacing the traditional menu key, providing direct access to the AI-powered Windows Copilot experience. Yusef Mehdi, the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Consumer at Microsoft, refers to the button as a 'gateway to the world of AI on your PC', drawing parallels to the significance of the introduction of the Windows key nearly three decades ago.

Location and Variability

With its placement next to the right Alt key, the Copilot button will bring some variability depending on the manufacturer and the market. Its primary function will be to launch the built-in Windows Copilot in Windows 11, which operates in a similar fashion to the ChatGPT chatbot, enabling responses to queries or actions within Windows. If Windows Copilot is not available in a specific country, the button will initiate a Windows search instead.

Availability and Future Prospects

While Microsoft has not yet disclosed which manufacturers will include the Copilot button in their keyboards, more details are expected to emerge at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show and throughout the year. Mehdi emphasizes that the Copilot button will be available on new Windows 11 PCs from partnering ecosystems, including upcoming Surface devices.

The addition of the Copilot button is part of Microsoft's broader strategy to integrate AI technology into the Windows ecosystem. By doing so, 2024 is positioned to be a watershed year for the development of smarter and more personalized computing. With AI features expanding across various software and services, Microsoft continues to explore and enhance the interaction between humans and technology.

Microsoft, Copilot, AI