Microsoft adds AI button to keyboards to summon chatbots

Microsoft is introducing a new keyboard feature that allows users to access an AI chatbot by pressing a single key. This special “Copilot key” will be included in some new personal computers running the company’s Windows operating system starting this month.

This move is part of Microsoft’s efforts to take advantage of its partnership with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and position itself as a gateway for generative AI technology applications.

While most people now access the internet and AI applications through their phones, the addition of an AI button on PC keyboards is symbolic of the intense competition between tech companies in the AI space. However, this competition is unfolding against the backdrop of unresolved ethical and legal issues. The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft last month, alleging that tools like ChatGPT and Copilot infringed on copyrighted news articles.

This redesign marks the biggest change to PC keyboards by Microsoft since the introduction of the special Windows key in the 1990s. The new AI button will be marked by the Copilot logo and located near the space bar, replacing either the right “CTRL” key or a menu key on different computers.

Customised keys are not unique to Microsoft. Apple’s “Command” key with a looped square design and Google’s search button on Chromebooks are examples of other companies using customised keys. However, Microsoft’s dominance in the PC market through licensing agreements with third-party manufacturers like Lenovo, Dell, and HP gives it a strong advantage in reaching a wide user base.

Currently, about 82% of all desktop computers, laptops, and workstations run Windows, while Apple’s in-house operating system accounts for 9% of the market, and Google’s system has just over 6% market share, according to market research firm IDC.

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Microsoft has not disclosed which computer makers will include the Copilot button, except for its own in-house line of premium Surface devices. The company expects some manufacturers to unveil their new models at the upcoming CES gadget show in Las Vegas. – AP