Microsoft's Windows chief wants to turn the operating system into an 'agentic OS - users just want reliability and better performance

"Microsoft Windows chief Pavan Davuluri has made no secret of the tech giant's plans for the future of Windows, having previously claimed the next version of the operating system will draw upon AI to offer users a more "multi-modal" experience. With Microsoft's annual Ignite conference looming this week, Davuluri has once again been banging the drum for an AI-infused Windows operating system, but users weren't exactly pleased. Promoting an upcoming session at the conference in a earlier this month, Davuluri said Windows is "evolving into an agentic OS, connecting devices, cloud, and AI to unlock intelligent productivity and secure work anywhere"."

"The buzzword-laden post prompted a fierce backlash, with users claiming "no one wants this". Others, meanwhile, questioned why the tech giant is focusing on packing the operating system with new AI features instead of improving functionality, reliability, and performance. Gergely Orosz, software engineer, author, and curator of the Pragmatic Engineer newsletter, pounced on the tweet, suggesting the automation push at Microsoft could be alienating developers using the OS. "Can't see any reason for sq engineers to choose Windows with this weird direction they are doubling down on," he wrote. "So odd because Microsoft has building dev tools in their DNA...their OS doesn't look like anything a builder who wants OS control would choose." Davuluri acknowledged the criticism in a response to Orosz's post, noting that he had "read through the comments and see focus on things like reliability, performance, ease of use and more"."

Pavan Davuluri promoted an AI-infused future for Windows, describing the OS as evolving into an agentic platform that connects devices, cloud, and AI to unlock intelligent productivity and secure work anywhere. The announcement ahead of Microsoft's Ignite conference triggered a strong user backlash, with critics saying they do not want heavy AI integration and questioning the emphasis on new features over core functionality, reliability, and performance. Software engineer Gergely Orosz criticised the direction as alienating to developers, arguing Mac or Linux remain preferable for those wanting OS control. Davuluri acknowledged user concerns about reliability, performance, and ease of use.

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