What is the Copilot key? Microsoft’s addition to the keyboard explained

Given it only released in September 2023, you may not necessarily be aware of Microsoft Copilot yet but it is set to explode in 2024. A lot of that will come down to the Copilot key, and here’s what it is.

Microsoft spent much of 2023 talking about AI and, then, Copilot came along. Copilot is the company’s AI companion that’s currently rolling out across Windows devices.

So far, it’s been a software-focused product but, this year, a key for launching Copilot is set to debut on many laptops. Let’s dive into the rare new addition to keyboards.

What is the Copilot key?

On January 4 2024, Microsoft announced that a new Copilot key would be debuting on Windows 11 PCs in the coming year.

The function of the Microsoft Copilot key does what it says on the tin. It is a dedicated key for launching Copilot, giving you quick access to Microsoft’s AI companion whatever you are doing on your PC.

Microsoft touts this as the “first significant change to the Windows PC keyboard in nearly three decades”. As such, the change might take some getting used to and it is a big play from Microsoft to dedicate a whole key to one of its new features. It is a move that Microsoft has attempted before, with an Office key sitting in a similar spot previously.

We already know many laptop manufacturers are set to adopt the key on their keyboards, from the new Dell XPS range to the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Book4 set of devices. You’ll also see the key across Acer, Asus, MSI and more machines too.

The basics of Microsoft’s Copilot is that it is an AI companion intended to improve your Windows experience. As an AI tool, there are very few limits on what you can ask of it but it looks set to help many users with basic tasks as well as help with planning and information-gathering across many genres and disciplines. Copilot also features integration with Microsoft Designer, enabling image generation based on prompts too.