Top Microsoft exec's boast about Windows 'evolving into an agentic OS' provokes furious backlash over AI — users fed up with forced AI and cloud features

Agentic OS backlash
(Image credit: Microsoft Ignite)

Microsoft’s President of Windows & Devices, Pavan Davuluri, has taken to social media to share his enthusiasm about the evolution of Windows. The Microsoft exec wanted to share his excitement about how Windows is "evolving into an agentic OS." But we didn’t see anyone celebrating alongside Davuluri. Rather, the comments section was quickly overrun with sharp criticism, reflecting widespread unease about the direction Microsoft seems to be taking Windows.

“Windows is evolving into an agentic OS, connecting devices, cloud, and AI to unlock intelligent productivity and secure work anywhere,” Davuluri wrote on his public profile page. “Join us at #MSIgnite to see how frontier firms are transforming with Windows and what’s next for the platform. We can’t wait to show you!”

Davuluri’s enthusiasm regarding the evolution of Windows faced overwhelmingly negative criticism. If we had to condense the replies into a single, representative, super-reply, it would probably read something like this: ‘No one wants this; we are fed up with AI everything; Windows needs tuning for performance; and Linux is looking good.’

In some ways, we agree with the Windows and PC enthusiast old-guard. The execs that steer Windows might be advised to remember that, first and foremost, it is an operating system and should be honed to facilitate the operations its users wish to complete. Whatever frills it adds — whatever side dishes it offers — the OS definitely should not get in the way of users, and interruptions of computer workflows, entertainment, and gaming fun should be red-flagged as being contrary to the prime directive.

Having said that, some of the negativity from social media commenters went a little off the rails. Davuluri’s highlighted Ignite session seems to be targeted at ‘frontier firms,’ and if they want the Windows features described, laced with artificial intelligence and connected cloud trimmings, it seems fair that Microsoft should address them. As long as these features aren’t foisted on users who want to ignore the OS and focus on their apps, content, and games, we don't think there will be an uprising or a mass exodus in the immediate future.

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Mark Tyson
News Editor

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

  • erazog
    Personally I feel they should spin it off as a separate product, call it Copilot OS powered by Windows, just don't call it Windows which has an expectation (& legacy) as a keyboard and mouse system. Leave stock Windows be a power user desktop experience which is what it excelled at.

    I get it MS doesn't want to be caught in the past but I don't think the AI revolution is really here and even 30 years from now lots of people will still be using the same key/mouse interface of today.
    Reply
  • Jabberwocky79
    If I were to boil down the resistance (hate) into the simplest form, I'd say the problem is loss of control. So many people are feeling like they are losing autonomy in their daily lives, and AI is one of the prime culprits right now. One big corp after another keeps telling us how awesome it is and bulldozing over the fact that people don't need or want a clanker to do everything for them. It's insulting, not to mention the fact that I've yet to see an AI agent that is competent enough for me to want to trust it with all of my daily choices, including how to run my OS.
    Reply
  • das_stig
    5 Windows machines in house hold left to be transitioned to Linux.
    2 Dell servers to go to Proxmox and run Linux containers of similar Windows software.
    2 Gaming PC's, mine will go as I know my games are compatible, sons may have stay as he is a DCS nut.
    1 works laptop, can't do anything about that, yet !

    and I'm betting a lot of people in similar thought, that they don't need Windows now.
    Reply
  • ezst036
    Admin said:
    has taken to social media to share his enthusiasm about the evolution of Windows.
    Perhaps Pavan should share his enthusiasm for the rapidly declining market share.(Mostly to MacOS, some to Linux)

    People already do not like Windows Recall and find it creepy and deceitful. Doubling down in an area like this seems like an internal plan to destroy the Windows Operating System brand.

    ..................... Not that I mind internal sabotage at Microsoft, BTW. That's my gut feeling about the comments.

    If I was intent on taking an OS brand and making it "business/cubicle only" what is the plan I would embark on? This is the plan, this is what I would do. If Microsoft keeps this up only users in cubicles like at insurance companies will want it anymore.

    It just seems like Microsoft knows very well how to be an Azure cloud company while responding to corporate needs, but they have entirely forgotten how to be a local OS company responding to individual human non-business needs.
    Reply
  • hotaru251
    "ai" is stupid (literally) atm.

    It makes mistakes frequently...heck it doubles downs on its mistakes being correct unless you push it hard engohu to accept it was wrong...

    People don't want that on their machine 24/7.

    People don't like all the data harvesting (and you can bet any agentic windows would effectively disable any workaround to cutting out that data harvesting).


    Wanna dd "ai" to windows? make it an app for your awful Windows store and be entirely optional.

    Windows has been going downhill as an OS for past decade. MS doesn't care becasue they quit being an OS company and switched to a data center while leaving the OS on back burner as a "well its there we'll at least do soemthing with it" thing.

    MS should be scared....Apples already putting foot into the production market & Linux already has server market & is slowly claiming the casual userbase especially as stuff like Steam OS is reducing the gaming barrier on linux.
    Windows will have nothing but its reputation eventually and if they keep being anti consumer & forcing stuff nobody wants into the thing? They will eventually cease.
    Reply
  • bigdragon
    “Windows is evolving into an agentic OS, connecting devices, cloud, and AI to unlock intelligent productivity and secure work anywhere,” Davuluri wrote on his public profile page.
    The only thing keeping me on Windows is gaming -- that's it. This is why I'm so excited about Steam Machines and the Steam OS. All games becoming easily available outside of Windows would allow me to switch to Linux or Mac and leave Windows behind.

    Nearly all my friends and coworkers echo the same sentiment. Windows 11 is a pain. Microsoft does not understand consent, loves to interrupt or delay what you're doing, and keeps forcibly bundling in features nobody asked for. These Microsoft executive types are so busy trying to please investors that they've lost sight of things that actually help their users. Windows 11 is the most bloated and frustrating version of Windows so far. I can't wait to get rid of it!
    Reply
  • rplantz
    I moved away from Apple around 20 years ago because they locked me into the Apple ecosystem. Although it was good, I wanted more personal freedom. Also, locking me in meant they could pretty much charge what the wished.

    I assembled my own hardware an installed Ubuntu Warty. A couple of years later I bought a Windows laptop and added Windows to my desktop machine (dual boot). Slowly, I migrated to Windows almost exclusively.

    Now I find that Microsoft is doing the same thing that I left Apple for--locking me into the MS ecosystem which is based on AI in the cloud. That might be okay for a business, but I'm retired. Being a cranky old man, I want my privacy.

    Like most people have said, I want an operating system that manages resources and provides a stable interface to the system resources for applications. The key here is that I want to be able to select my own applications for my computer. The path MS is taking with Windows is like an OS in an embedded system with one application, except they'll use AI to control a wide variety of applications.

    Perhaps this will all work, and AI will make life wonderful for all of us. Meanwhile, many of us Windows 11 users are stuck with the latest update giving us "Security Update (KB5068861) (26200.7171) Install error - 0x800f0983." My take is that MS has shifted their focus from "stable interface to the system resources for applications" to trying to make money from their huge monetary investment in AI. Reminds me of Musk's desire to go to Mars: Let's spend huge amounts of money, and use huge amounts of Earth's resources, to go someplace really awful instead of making what we have better.
    Reply
  • Shiznizzle
    "Whatever frills it adds — whatever side dishes it offers — the OS definitely should not get in the way of users, and interruptions of computer workflows, entertainment, and gaming fun should be red-flagged as being contrary to the prime directive."

    Indeed. Previous settings are now deeply nested inside menu after menu. Not just one menu.

    Take adjusting sleep timers from XP and 7, to 10, for example. In ten the function is now deep inside menus and takes more work to achieve the same thing. Way more mouse clicks and windows to open for the same thing.

    Its more work. And that is not the only thing i have issues with when it comes to ten. To say the least of their "take it or leave it" attitude when it comes to issues such as spying and what is included in the actual OS itself.

    I chose to leave windows. On linux now. I play my games on Nobara.

    It is not easy and i am learning. I cant even change the HDD spinning 24/7/365 yet. I know its either hdparm or udisk that can do this....but figuring out the syntax or finding a GUI that does this has evaded me yet.

    I would rather be a noob in Linux than to deal with any more of microsoft whose aim and mission has changed from being an OS to serve you, the user, to one that considers the user a "thing" to use and abuse for their own gain. E.g serving ads, asking permission to serve you ads before the OS is even installed as this is presented to you during install along with a dozen or more attempts to be allowed to spy on you - which you should deny btw.
    Reply
  • onigami
    Jabberwocky79 said:
    If I were to boil down the resistance (hate) into the simplest form, I'd say the problem is loss of control. So many people are feeling like they are losing autonomy in their daily lives, and AI is one of the prime culprits right now. One big corp after another keeps telling us how awesome it is and bulldozing over the fact that people don't need or want a clanker to do everything for them. It's insulting, not to mention the fact that I've yet to see an AI agent that is competent enough for me to want to trust it with all of my daily choices, including how to run my OS.
    "Loss of control?" Eesh, that's been happening for four, five decades now. A better phrase for it would be "loss of relevance" and "loss of meaning," which is a bigger problem for the types of people that exist in these forums. I think the reason certain groups of people are being all pissy now is that—to paraphrase that Manics song—they and their parents have tolerated the hollowing out of society for so long, now they're next. It's like the commenters on Ars Technica realizing now it's their turn to be thrown under a bus by the ruling class after cozying up to them for decades.

    das_stig said:
    5 Windows machines in house hold left to be transitioned to Linux.
    2 Dell servers to go to Proxmox and run Linux containers of similar Windows software.
    2 Gaming PC's, mine will go as I know my games are compatible, sons may have stay as he is a DCS nut.
    1 works laptop, can't do anything about that, yet !

    and I'm betting a lot of people in similar thought, that they don't need Windows now.
    <<MOD EDIT: Personal attack Removed>>
    Like, seriously. Comments like these are why I have nothing but contempt for Linux people. Every time they talk about Linux in these contexts, there's this "sticking it to the Man" shtick that is utterly insufferable. They just look like they enjoy the smell of their own farts. It also shows how completely out of touch they are: The vast majority of people who still use a computer (which, let's be real, is dwindling) don't care about the OS they use. They just want a machine that works. They don't care if it's a Windows or Mac or Linux computer.

    Don't get me wrong. Windows sucks, has sucked since 3.1. But I also don't care. Lot of more important things to worry about.

    Feels like most people need a reality check around here. Switch all you want, but at least have the chutzpah to admit it's all about your ego.
    Reply
  • Shiznizzle
    das_stig said:
    5 Windows machines in house hold left to be transitioned to Linux.
    2 Dell servers to go to Proxmox and run Linux containers of similar Windows software.
    2 Gaming PC's, mine will go as I know my games are compatible, sons may have stay as he is a DCS nut.
    1 works laptop, can't do anything about that, yet !

    and I'm betting a lot of people in similar thought, that they don't need Windows now.
    Yesterday i managed to get Steam DCS to authenticate and for the initial splash screen to show up. It wanted to load but was hanging on that. Now, i am a total noob and know nothing so for me to even get that far is quite amazing.

    My guess is can ditch my win 10 M2 in about a year or so since DCS will run on proton by then
    Reply