Microsoft’s bread-and-butter operating system, Windows, turns 40 on November 20. Like many people who are struggling with a midlife crisis, Windows is exclusively adopting AI in a desperate move to hide the fact that the body is slowly deteriorating.
Last Friday, Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s president of Windows and Devices, wrote on X that “Windows is evolving into an agentic OS.” The term “agent” refers to products that use multiple AI models together to accomplish more complex tasks. The post resulted in a wave of anger against the OS’s latest steps toward AI. Last month, Windows added several new features to the CoPilot app that lets users talk to their PC. When you enable an option inside Windows 11 Settings, the AI should be able to recognize what’s on your screen and make suggestions based on your questions. For example, if you ask CoPilot what settings you need to enable Hi-Fi audio in Spotify, the AI should be able to highlight that setting for you to click.
The rollout of Microsoft’s “experimental” CoPilot features has gone as expected. The AI may be able to answer some basic questions correctly, but it is just as confident a liar as any other chatbot. In one of Microsoft’s own Windows ads, Copilot asks a user to change the text size via the “Scale” option in Settings. The problem is that it will also affect other UI elements and spoil the entire look of your screen. Readers on X added a community note to that post saying the better option is to go through Settings, Accessibility, and then change the text size.
Tech made simple. CoPilot on Windows 11 helps you resize text like a professional. @uravgconsumer pic.twitter.com/4vMXIiBNv7
– Windows (@Windows) 12 November 2025
The video is full of other little cringe-worthy moments, including where Copilot asks the user to change the scale to 150%, even though that was already the laptop’s default setting. These are the same issues I personally experienced on Gaming Copilot for Windows. Microsoft’s chatbot is often wrong or just plain wrong. It fails to tell you the exact controls for games you are actively playing and will often give players poor advice on how to complete your in-game objectives.
Davuluri has tried to provide some feedback on the widely negative outlook on these changes to Windows 11. Tech writer and blogger Gergely Oroz complained that software developers have no reason to be happy with these software changes. “We care deeply about developers,” the Windows president responded, adding that the team is still taking feedback about CoPilot’s reliability, performance, and ease of use (or lack thereof).
“We know we have work to do on the experience, on everyday usability, from inconsistent dialogues to power user experiences,” Davuluri wrote on Friday. “When we meet as a team, we discuss these problems and other points in detail, because we want developers to choose Windows.”
Hey Gergely, I’m responding here, and I think this applies to the comments that people have made. I mean, a lot of comments 🙂.
The team (and I) take in a lot of feedback. We balance what we see in our product feedback system with what we hear directly. They don’t…
– Pavand Davuluri (@pavandavuluri) 15 November 2025
Microsoft is one day away from its annual Ignite conference, where it will showcase even more AI capabilities within Windows. Many longtime Windows users are equally confused and annoyed by Windows’ move to an “agent” lifestyle. Meanwhile, Windows feels more bloated than ever. As someone who regularly loads up new Windows PCs for review, simply going through the steps to install Windows 11 is a daunting task. You’re constantly getting requests to sign in to your Microsoft account. The PC fully expects you to enable 365 or the auto-screenshotting recall feature. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney didn’t mince words when he pleaded with Microsoft to stop forcing them to sign in with a Windows account.
Hey Copilot, make my taskbar vertical and never ask me to create a Windows account again!
– Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) 15 November 2025
If Copilot could change settings on behalf of users, it would go a long way in making the OS more user-friendly. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wrote on Friday that he wants to see companies create AI trained on their own data. In its current state, when AI does not even recognize the basics of using the operating system it creates, it can never be the first choice of users. Microsoft continues to push Windows as a Mac-like ecosystem, but Windows users simply want an OS that works without persistent ads for Microsoft’s other services. While current Copilot features remain optional, it’s only a matter of time before Microsoft forces users to encounter an AI chatbot in one way or another. When that happens, longtime Windows users may start looking for greener areas. Maybe it’s Linux’s time to shine.