Microsoft has unveiled a significant transformation to its keyboards, marking the most substantial change in three decades by introducing an artificial intelligence (AI) key. This key enables users to access Copilot, Microsoft’s AI tool, on new Windows 11 PCs. The integration of AI into various Microsoft products, powered by OpenAI, includes Microsoft 365 and Bing search.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s executive vice president, described this development as a “transformative” moment, likening it to the introduction of the Windows key almost 30 years ago. He emphasized that this innovation aims to “simplify” and “amplify” the user experience. The new keyboards featuring the Copilot key are slated for release with new products starting in February.
Microsoft plans to showcase these products, incorporating the Copilot key, at the upcoming CES tech event in Las Vegas next week. Copilot, integrated into Office 365 products like Word, PowerPoint, and Teams, assists users with tasks such as meeting summarization, email composition, and presentation creation. The AI tool has also been incorporated into the Bing search engine.
Prof John Tucker, a computer scientist at the University of Swansea, noted that the introduction of the Copilot key is a “natural step,” emphasizing Microsoft’s commitment to this feature and its potential to engage users across various products. However, he expressed reservations about the limited evolution of keyboards over the past 30 years.
Google, with its AI system Bard, is a dominant search engine, while Microsoft’s partner OpenAI introduced ChatGPT in 2022, prompting competitors to release their versions. Copilot is built on OpenAI’s GPT-4 large language model.
The UK’s competition watchdog is currently investigating Microsoft’s relationship with OpenAI, prompted by boardroom upheaval leading to a close association between the two firms.
