Microsoft has announced the addition of a dedicated “Copilot” key on select new Windows keyboards. Know more how it operates across Microsoft’s Office and Windows.

New Delhi: In a move to integrate its latest AI into the Windows ecosystem, Microsoft has announced the addition of a dedicated “Copilot” key on select new Windows keyboards. This marks the first major physical change to the standard keyboard layout since the introduction of the Windows key in the 1990s. The tech giant’s move hints at its aim to bring its users a unique experience, making its AI accessible and user-friendly.

Introducing Microsoft’s Copilot AI

To all of those who are new to the development of ‘Copilot’, here is a refresher. The Microsoft Copilot, formerly known as Bing Chat, is a suite of AI-powered tools designed to boost your productivity. It operates across several of our day-to-day apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, offering real-time assistance upon call. Recently, Microsoft’s Copilot, had gained its attention by offering access to functionalities typically found in paid tiers of OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4 and DALL-E models on its Android and iOS app stores.

What is the Copilot Key?

Located near the space bar, the all new Copilot key activates Microsoft’s AI assistant – Copilot, which was previously only accessible through voice commands or the clicking on its icon on taskbar. With the new key, all users have to do is single-press the button, and they can activate Copilot AI, use its features to:

• Search and assistance: Get instant answers to your questions, perform quick calculations, and receive context-based, relevant suggestions for tasks and documents.
• Creative tools: Generate different creative text formats like poems, code, scripts, musical pieces, and more.
• Productivity enhancements: Automate repetitive tasks, manage your schedule, and receive notifications and reminders—all smart work done by the AI.

Impact on Users

The Copilot key will initially appear on select new personal computers manufactured by Microsoft’s partners, with broader availability expected later in 2024. This gradual rollout will allow users to give their feedback and refine the Copilot integration within the keyboard ecosystem.

It is likely that the Copilot key could significantly impact user interaction with Windows by making AI assistance more readily available. This means that it could change how users approach tasks and manage their workflow.

Other AI uses

As Microsoft proceeds to integrate AI to its platform, here are few more initiatives showing how AI is used by the company

• Azure AI Platform: This cloud-based platform offers businesses access to a range of AI tools and services, allowing them to develop and deploy their own AI solutions.
• Microsoft Research: Microsoft’s research teams are constantly pushing the boundaries of AI, exploring areas like natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics.
• Ethical AI Development: Microsoft emphasises responsible AI development, focusing on transparency, fairness, and accountability in its AI initiatives.

As AI quickly fastens up to be integrated in our parts of lives, it is also upto us to self regulate and use the tool carefully, intended for the right purposes.