Microsoft is so confident that AI is the future of computing that it’s adding a new button to Windows PC keyboards to quickly launch its AI assistant, Copilot (formerly Bing Chat). The rollout will begin with the new Surface models, which will be announced at CES next week and then go on sale.
This is the first change to the Windows keyboard in 30 years and the latest example of how hardware manufacturers are betting on artificial intelligence, according to ArsTechnica and Axios. Previous changes date back to 1994, when the keyboard added a shortcut button to the Windows Start menu.
“We definitely think 2024 is the year of AI-powered PCs,” Microsoft executive vice president Yusuf Mehdi told Axios. “We believe this is the next fundamental change in the way people will interact with their computers.”
Microsoft’s short demo video shows the new key located between the arrow key cluster and the right Alt key, where many keyboards previously had a Menu button and a right Ctrl key.
The company clarified that the exact location may vary depending on the size and layout of the keyboard. Pressing the button will launch the Copilot app and send those who don’t have it enabled to search.
While the hardware key is the most notable change to Windows PCs, Mehdi says it’s part of a broader reinvention of the PC in the age of AI. By integrating artificial intelligence into Windows devices, Microsoft and its PC partners hope to score points against Apple’s Mac line.
Author:
Ekaterina Alipova
Source: RB
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