A new Microsoft Copilot AI key will ship on Windows 11 laptops starting now

2024 will be the year of the AI PC. That’s the way Microsoft sees it and to make sure it happens it’s going to go all out — by putting a new Copilot button on the keyboards attached to Windows 11 PCs.

Microsoft has been steadily leaning into the brave new world of artificial intelligence, generative AI, and large language models throughout 2023 and it’s kicking 2024 off with a bang. The company says that AI will become a key part of the Windows systems that people use at home and at work and to make that happen the Copilot key will join the Windows key on all PC keyboards.

30 years of precedence

Microsoft added the Windows key to keyboards a whopping 30 years ago as a way for people to more quickly and easily open the Start Menu on their computers. Fast-forward to 2024 and the Copilot button will offer something similar. “The Copilot key joins the Windows key as a core part of the PC keyboard and when pressed, the new key will invoke the Copilot in Windows experience to make it seamless to engage Copilot in your day to day,” Microsoft said in a post announcing the new Copilot key on the Windows blog.

The blog post continued, adding that “nearly 30 years ago, we introduced the Windows key to the PC keyboard that enabled people all over the world to interact with Windows. We see this as another transformative moment in our journey with Windows where Copilot will be the entry point into the world of AI on the PC.”

Those looking to take full advantage of the new Copilot button should be able to buy laptops with one soon enough. CES 2024 is just days away and Microsoft says that we will start to see the Copilot key on many of the new Windows 11 PCs shown off at the event. Availability should begin later this month, with upcoming Surface devices also sporting Copilot keys of their very own.