Thirty years after introducing the Windows key that has become ubiquitous on PC keyboards, Microsoft is making another bold change by adding a dedicated Copilot key to launch its AI helper on Windows. The key marks the company’s ambitions to make 2024 “the year of the AI PC.”

The new key will replace the menu or application key next to the right-hand Alt key, putting it within easy reach on most keyboard layouts. Instead of opening a context menu, it will directly open Windows Copilot, the ChatGPT-style assistant newly introduced in Windows 11.

For Microsoft, the change signifies a major shift toward integrating AI deeper into its products. “We see this as another transformative moment in our journey with Windows where Copilot will be the entry point into the world of AI on the PC,” said Microsoft executive Yusuf Mehdi.

The Copilot key will begin rolling out with new devices from Microsoft’s hardware partners starting later this month and continuing through the spring. That includes the company’s upcoming Surface models like the much-anticipated Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6.

The key is just the first glimpse of major AI updates planned for Windows this year and seems meant to make Copilot universally accessible across different PCs. “In this new year, we will be ushering in a significant shift toward a more personal and intelligent computing future where AI will be seamlessly woven into Windows from the system, to the silicon, to the hardware,” Mehdi explained.

Beyond changes to Windows itself, Microsoft is actively integrating AI capabilities across its software and services. Its Edge browser is now being promoted as an “AI browser,” suggesting AI will play an important role in its 2024 product roadmap. With the new Copilot key cementing one entry point directly on millions of keyboards, Microsoft aims to make this the breakout year for AI in Windows and PC computing.