Microsoft is adding a dedicated Copilot key to Windows keyboards

[midian182]

What just happened? Are you sick of hearing about AI? Microsoft doesn't care, and to make sure you really appreciate just how great the technology is, it's adding a dedicated Copilot key to Windows keyboards. The change will mark the first time the standard Windows keyboard layout has seen a big alteration since the Windows key appeared in 1994.

The Copilot key will appear on new PCs and laptops from Microsoft partners. It will, of course, be used to open Microsoft's Windows Copilot generative AI assistant directly from a keyboard. On machines with the feature enabled, this can currently be achieved by pressing the Windows button and C, so a dedicated button saves you an entire keypress.

The Copilot key will replace the one next to the right Alt button, which can either be the menu (application) key, a right Ctrl key, another Windows key, or something similar. Its placement will vary based on the size and layout of the keyboard, the OEM, the market, and so on.

For those who don't have Copilot for whatever reason or aren't signed into a Microsoft account, the new button will open Windows Search. Again, this is something that can already be accessed pretty rapidly via the Windows button and the Start menu.

Microsoft says it will talk about which OEMs are introducing the Copilot key at CES next week. The company told Ars Technica that it isn't mandatory for now, but it expects that the key will be required on Windows 11 keyboards "over time."

Virtually every company is investing heavily in AI. Microsoft has spent around $13 billion on its partnership with OpenAI; Windows 12, or whatever it ends up being called, is said to have a heavy AI focus; and the reveal video for the Copilot key has the tagline "Today begins the era of the AI PC." Introducing a dedicated Copilot button is a way to push people into using the assistant, and Microsoft is no stranger to heavy handedness.

Let us know how you feel about the Copilot key's addition in the poll/comments below.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/101407-microsoft-adding-dedicated-copilot-key-windows-keyboards.html

 

[winjer]

 

[Uncle Al]

You can tell how big a scam it is by how hard they push it ......

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Completely and utterly pointless.

 

[envirovore]

The day they announced it being pushed live I immediately went looking for a way to disable it, and was successful.

For anyone else wanting to kill this stupid thing:
https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/17/how-to-disable-windows-copilot-in-windows/

 

[Lounds]

Microsoft just wants to be part of the first because they can see how they ****ed up with the search engine side of their business all those years ago.

 

[Nobina]

Of course, they're not going to make a good product that people will naturally adopt.

 

[nnguy2]

All this AI stuff reminds me of the 90s-2000s when everything had a dotcom it their name.

 

[maxxcool7421]

All this AI stuff reminds me of the 90s-2000s when everything had a dotcom it their name.

I.dotcom Have.dotcom no.dotcom Idea.dotcom what.dotcom you.dotcom are.dotcom talking.dotcom about.dotcom

 

[GoldenGoat]

Jensen Huang said that AI had it's "iPhone moment" with chat GPT (https://www.techspot.com/news/97584-nvidia-boss-jensen-huang-calls-chatgpt-greatest-thing.html). Microsoft is trying to go all-in with AI because they screwed up so bad on phones and they don't want to lose another "iPhone moment."

 

[Neatfeatguy]

I have a keyboard that's got a built in office key - pain in the a$s when I bump it. Also the stupid as$ built in emoji key that sits right next to it (they sit where the Windows key should be on the right side of the space bar). Who the F needs an emoji key or an office key?

Then, to top things off, on the left side of the space bar there is a "right mouse button click" key. The area the the Windows key would normally take up, it is half the size it normally is and the other half is the key for the "right mouse button click".

I don't require any other stupid a$s keys for crap I don't need to be added to my keyboards in the future. Copilot can kiss my as$ and die in a dumpster fire.

 

[umeng2002]

[ED 209 voice] "Co-pilot detected underage drinking in your family photos folder. Stay put. Authorities have been contacted. This may impact your credit score." [/ED 209 voice]

 

[kiwigraeme]

I have a keyboard that's got a built in office key - pain in the a$s when I bump it. Also the stupid as$ built in emoji key that sits right next to it (they sit where the Windows key should be on the right side of the space bar). Who the F needs an emoji key or an office key?

Then, to top things off, on the left side of the space bar there is a "right mouse button click" key. The area the the Windows key would normally take up, it is half the size it normally is and the other half is the key for the "right mouse button click".

I don't require any other stupid a$s keys for crap I don't need to be added to my keyboards in the future. Copilot can kiss my as$ and die in a dumpster fire.

Never done it, but can't you reprogram those keys ?

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Never done it, but can't you reprogram those keys ?

You have to use add on programs, like microsoft mouse and keyboard center, but IDK if permanent hotkeys like the windows key can be reassigned.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

The constant pushing of onedrive finally got me off of Office. This AI Push may finally get me off Windows.

 

[Alfonso Maruccia]

And remember, folks! Web3 and blockchain are the future of everything!

 

[Furriest]

Completely and utterly pointless.

Heavily refined and specialty neural networks in the (very very) long run will put whatever nonsense Microsoft is shilling out to shame in comparison. In terms of overused and too generalized buzzwords, AI takes the crown for them, so much so that people are advertising ethically dubious outsourced labor as "AI" to increase the profit margin.

 

[nnguy2]

And remember, folks! Web3 and blockchain are the future of everything!

You missed the Internet of Things! Hackers can turn your faucet on and run the hot water so you'll have to take cold showers as a prank.

 

[quadibloc]

Remember the iOpener by Netpliance? It had a key that brought up the web page for ordering from Papa John's pizza! Microsoft will have to work hard to top that! However, given that the Windows key and the Menu key were supposed to be useful, eliminating the menu key for a different key is not the best - although eliminating one of the Ctrl keys is supposed to be an alternate possibility.
So this new key can't actually be implemented by adding another key to the keyboard? That's actually the strangest thing about this "new" key.

 

[scavengerspc]

Unless the key can be used to shut copilot down completely, I myself see no use for it.

 

[netman]

"Microsoft is adding a dedicated Copilot key to Windows keyboards"

Another Useless feature from Microsoft...!

 

[OortCloud]

Can they add a dedicated uninstall windows key too please?