For 30 years, the keyboard has remained almost unchanged under Windows. After a change in the 1990s, something is changing again now. Microsoft has added a new key that is already found on new devices.
The keyboard on PCs has hardly changed in recent years. Depending on the country, there is a different keyboard layout; for example, in Germany, we have umlauts that are not present on US keyboards. However, in 2024, there was for the first time a comprehensive change to the keyboard, at least for those using Windows. This is because Apple devices utilize their own keyboard schema and specific special keys.
What was the last change? In the early 1990s, there was a significant last change to the familiar keyboard layout: Microsoft added a special Windows key to the known keyboard. This was about 30 years ago.
What is the new feature? In 2024, for the first time, a completely new key was added to the computer keyboard that we will use in our daily lives: the “AI Copilot” key.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s Executive Vice President and Consumer Marketing Chief, stated back then: “2024 will be the year of the intelligent computer” and described it as a major innovation (via euronews.com).
With the new key, Microsoft aimed to ride the current AI hype
Why is there a new key? With the new key, Microsoft wants to sharpen the focus on its in-house AI features and make usage more intuitive for its users. A single press of the AI Copilot key summons Microsoft’s virtual assistant, which is based on the GPT-4 language model.
Microsoft aims to leverage its close partnership with the ChatGPT creator OpenAI and strengthen its own presence in the growing market. Laptop manufacturers, such as ASUS and Dell, have taken the lead in this over the past weeks and months.
Where is the key located? To the right of the space bar, to the right of the ALT key. Typically, the FN key is located here, which will either disappear or be moved. The keyboard size and the number of keys will not change, only the keys themselves will change.
This key or at least the function behind it is used actively by many people. In the future, the use of AI or AI functions is only expected to grow.
AI is a huge topic in 2024, and many companies are participating to avoid being left behind
What does 2024 look like? The biggest criticism and concern is primarily that AI could lead to many jobs disappearing sooner or later. It happens repeatedly that companies lay off their employees only to replace them with chatbots or other AI systems. Just recently, a team complained that they were laid off for an AI service.
Therefore, it is not surprising that many people view such actions with fear and concern, fearing they might be the next to find themselves without a job. AI is thus not only seen with technical enthusiasm, as companies like Microsoft or Nvidia do. Nvidia is currently generating billions in revenue, partly thanks to AI.
Are there secure jobs? The head of ChatGPT explained in an interview which professions a AI could never replace. He identified a total of 34 jobs that are safe from artificial intelligence. In addition to bus drivers and hairdressers, several other lesser-known jobs are included: The inventor of the AI ChatGPT reveals which 34 jobs AI will never be able to replace
