- Microsoft focuses on Windows 11 and AI-powered Copilot+ PCs for the foreseeable future
- October 14, 2025 remains the deprecation date for Windows 10, pushing users toward Windows 11 or newer PCs.
- Microsoft’s deep integration of AI into Copilot+ PCs aims to redefine the way we interact with our PCs, but raises concerns
At CES 2025, we apparently just received confirmation that Microsoft will not be releasing the next generation of Windows, which many of us assume will be called Windows 12, for the time being. Instead, Microsoft is moving forward with its vision of AI-powered PCs (which it calls Copilot+ PCs) and intends to continue integrating artificial intelligence into Windows 11.
Microsoft, eager to capitalize on the AI buzz, is betting big on tools like ChatGPT and its own AI assistant, Copilot, which can be accessed directly from the taskbar, becoming an everyday part of our digital work and life. personal life.
According to Windows Latest, Microsoft claims that Copilot+ PCs are up to 50% faster than an M3 MacBook. Of the Copilot+ PCs we’ve reviewed so far, like the Surface Laptop 7, we’ve certainly been impressed with its performance, although it’s not yet known whether the AI features are as useful.
The departure of Windows 10 and Microsoft’s unwavering focus on its AI vision
There is also an emphasis on future versions of Windows 11 because Windows 10 is approaching its end-of-support date, which is October 14, 2025. Yusuf Mehdi, executive vice president and head of consumer marketing at Microsoft, reinforced this at CES 2025, indicating that Windows 10 is still on track to become obsolete on this date.
When October 14 rolls around, Microsoft will stop releasing regular updates (including security updates) for Windows 10, and after that you’ll either have to buy a newer Windows 11 PC or pay for additional security updates for a limited time. (and it’s clear that Microsoft would prefer all Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11).
So it looks like Windows 12 won’t be coming in the foreseeable future, as Microsoft is focusing on getting its users to upgrade to Windows 11. It’s also focusing on winning people over with its Copilot+ PCs, offering a pretty bold vision of what what these devices will be able to do and how much they will change the way we interact with our PCs. Windows Latest notes that Windows 11 came out during the pandemic when people were buying new PCs and Microsoft saw an opportunity to boost PC sales, and that it will wait for another opportunity like this to release Windows 12 (although hopefully it won’t be another global opportunity). pandemic).
I can see why some people might be disappointed that we don’t have a bold new operating system, or reluctant to move on from Windows 10, which is still by far Microsoft’s most popular operating system. I also think Microsoft has a long way to go to convince people that its AI improvements are worth people’s time, as features like Copilot and Recall have so far been proven to be somewhat lackluster or just plain risky in terms of aspects such as security. I don’t think it’s impossible for Microsoft to achieve its ambitions, but in the end that will depend on the innovations it has yet to show.
I think Microsoft has an opportunity here to experiment with integrating AI-powered software and tools into Windows 11, and there’s certainly huge potential for AI to redefine the way we interact with PCs.
However, experiments carry risks and Microsoft would be remiss if it didn’t learn from this company and should pay close attention to its users’ feedback. If your involvement with AI is not successful (or at least not immediately), I think you should consider designing Windows 12 with an option to operate without heavy AI integration, using Windows 12 as a clean break in case your bet by AI does not bear fruit.
In the meantime, I’m glad that Microsoft doesn’t seem distracted by creating Windows 12, while there is still a lot of work to be done with Windows 11 to make it more popular, especially since there will be many Windows soon. 10 users looking to upgrade.
