Microsoft has added a button to the Windows operating system keyboard that, when pressed, opens a chat window for its artificial intelligence application, "Copilot." The first devices featuring this new key are available this month. The "Copilot" key, which will be positioned to the right of the space bar, represents the first alteration to the Windows keyboard layout since Microsoft introduced the Windows/Start key in 1994, underscoring the company's commitment to artificial intelligence.
Microsoft device partners will showcase Windows 11 computers with the Copilot button in the coming days at the CES technology conference. Over time, this feature is expected to become essential, according to Bloomberg, as reported by Al Arabiya Business. The shortcut will assist users in generating images, composing emails, and summarizing text with the help of AI.
Microsoft's Chief Marketing Officer for Consumers, Yusuf Mehdi, stated in a blog announcing the change that AI will be seamlessly integrated into Windows, from the system to the silicon to the devices. The company, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, sees 2024 as the year of AI-powered personal computers, reflecting a trend among smartphone manufacturers to promote their latest models as "AI-enabled phones."
These classifications may not carry significant weight on their own, but Microsoft has spent the past year retooling its major products around AI technology capable of generating new content from vast datasets. This list now includes Windows, Office, Bing Search, security software, and consumer and financial products. The work significantly benefits from OpenAI's GPT-4 technology, in which Microsoft has invested $13 billion.
For device manufacturers, Microsoft's shift towards AI services has not yet translated into increased sales, as new Copilot features are being rolled out on both new and existing devices. Mehdi's promise of integrating AI into hardware and silicon may indicate further pressure on consumers to upgrade as Microsoft evolves and enhances its AI offerings.
