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Microsoft Gives Up On The Copilot Key - WAN Show May 22, 2026

May 23, 2026 • 4h 20m

Summary

⏱️ 15 min read

Overview

Linus and Luke discuss Microsoft's recent positive changes including ditching the Copilot Key, removing SMS two-factor authentication, and addressing driver issues that affected battery life. They dive deep into Google's massive AI-focused keynote, local LLM hosting, Samsung's near-strike over AI chip profits, and various tech industry news. The show celebrates 'Good News Friday' while maintaining critical perspectives on AI implementation, gaming on Linux, and tech industry trends.

Microsoft's Redemption Arc: Copilot Key Becomes Optional

Microsoft confirms that a future Windows 11 update will allow users to remap the Copilot Key, marking a shift toward user customization. This comes alongside Microsoft removing the co-pilot button from Office apps and signals that the company may finally be listening to user feedback about forced AI integration. The hosts celebrate this as a positive step, though they maintain skepticism about whether Microsoft will continue on this path.

  • Microsoft will allow users to remap the Copilot Key in a future Windows 11 update
  • Microsoft is also removing the co-pilot button from Office 360 apps that was getting in users' way
  • The changes suggest Microsoft is getting the message that users want customization over forced features
  • Linus would love to bind the key to system-wide voice-to-text dictation
" Is it starting to feel like Microsoft is getting the message that users do not want to have this stuff crammed down their throats and that customizability and having the machine do what I want it to do when I do something is more important than whatever agenda it is that they're trying to advance. "

Google I/O: AI Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

Google's latest keynote was a marathon AI showcase that left Linus with existential dread as AI was integrated into virtually every product. Despite impressive demos like generating different camera angles and converting daytime to nighttime scenes, the presentation received an unusually low engagement ratio relative to views. The hosts discuss whether this represents genuine innovation or just AI hype that will underwhelm when released to the public.

  • Google I/O had an extremely low interaction to view ratio at approximately 0.05% engagement
  • Gemini 3.5 family launched with improved agentic task capabilities
  • Google announced Gemini Omni for generating video clips from various input types
  • The demo showing 12 different camera angles and day-to-night conversion was technically impressive
  • AI Ultra plan pricing dropped from $250/month to $100/month while free usage became more limited
" That was the longest keynote I have ever watched, both in terms of how many hours long it was and in terms of how deep my existential dread became as it progressed deeper and deeper and deeper. "
" Every time so far that we've had one of these, like, AI keynotes where they say effectively that the world is falling and you're all done and there's no more jobs anymore, get owned. And then the stuff releases and everyone's like, okay. "

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