Microsoft releases the "Copilot" key, the largest keyboard upgrade for Windows in thirty years

In its biggest Windows keyboard overhaul in 30 years, Microsoft is adding a “Copilot” key that summons an AI-powered assistant.

The software giant announced Thursday that the Copilot key will soon be available on select new Windows-running PCs from various manufacturers, calling 2018 “the year of the AI PC.”

This means PC users can soon ask Copilot, the software giant's AI-powered chatbot, questions or assistance create emails with a click.

“This will not only simplify people’s computing experience but also amplify it, making 2024 the year of the AI PC,” Yusuf Mehdi, the executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer at Microsoft, said in a company blog post announcing the Copilot key.

The inclusion is the first major keyboard modification since Microsoft installed the Windows key in 1994. That button debuted on Dell, Lenovo, and HP laptop and desktop keyboards.