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Microsoft (MSFT) is stepping up its AI efforts with the introduction of new keyboard keys exclusive to the company’s Windows Copilot. Copilot keys, the first update to Windows PC keyboards in nearly 30 years, will be available on laptop and desktop keyboards from Microsoft’s OEM partners starting in February.
According to Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft CVP and Consumer Chief Marketing Officer, Copilot launches when you press the Copilot key and uses the app’s generative AI capabilities to search for content on the web, your content, and general PC functions. He says it can be done. The idea is to have Copilot act as a kind of smart personal assistant that can be activated at any time.
Microsoft has not announced specific partners that will include Copilot keys, but said companies should start announcing desktops and laptops with the feature within the next few days. We’ll also take a closer look at its features at his CES 2024, which kicks off on January 9th.
By having hardware partners add Copilot keys to their laptops and desktops, Microsoft is showing that it believes generative AI is an integral part of the future of personal computing. The last time Microsoft added new keyboard keys was in 1994 when it introduced the Windows Key.
Microsoft spent much of 2023 making a series of AI announcements, from the debut of the Bing chatbot and Edge browser to Copilot for Microsoft 365. CEO Satya Nadella said advances in AI will impact nearly every part of the company’s business.
Semiconductor giants are also getting in on the AI movement. AMD (AMD), Intel (INTC), and Qualcomm (QCOM) each announce their own AI PC chips with specialized neural processors designed to handle AI-specific tasks such as running generative AI applications Did.
However, it is still unclear how much consumers will benefit from these chips. Even Intel doesn’t know exactly what kinds of apps developers will end up creating that rely on or take advantage of neural processors.
The AI PC move comes at a time when the PC market is expected to return to growth for the first time since 2021, said Michael Ngu, an analyst at Goldman Sachs Equity Research.
“In our view, global PC shipments in 2024 will continue to rise as devices purchased due to the pandemic begin to reach four years of age and refresh cycles as new AI-enabled PCs enter the market (late 2024). “We believe this will be facilitated by the start of “this is the first technological change in personal computing since the proliferation of smartphones/tablets,” Ng wrote in a note Tuesday.
PC sales are expected to rebound after years of decline following explosive growth early in the pandemic. At the time, consumers and businesses wanted to own a PC for work and play, so they bought new laptops and desktops en masse.
However, as these systems age, consumers will start purchasing new PCs, which will drive the adoption of AI PCs. And that will inevitably contribute to profits not only for Microsoft, but also for Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm.
daniel howley I’m the technology editor at Yahoo Finance. He has been covering the technology industry since his 2011. You can follow him on Twitter. @Daniel Howley.
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