In context: Mounting controversies have not deterred Microsoft from adding unpopular AI features to Windows 11, which is struggling to gain users despite the end of official Windows 10 support. A legendary former Microsoft developer believes that the company should respond by taking a step back to focus on making a more secure, accessible operating system.
Dave Plummer, who developed several crucial Windows components while working at Microsoft, recently suggested that the company change course on Windows 11's feature rollout. The comments echo widespread frustration withing the Redmond firm's deployment of generative AI features across the operating system.
At the beginning of the latest episode of his podcast, Plummer said that Microsoft should have another "XPSP2 moment" and release a Windows 11 update that focuses entirely on resolving issues and strengthening security, rather than adding features. The former Microsoft developer was referring to Windows XP Service Pack 2, which stabilized and fortified the OS after the emergence of significant cybersecurity threats.
Despite adding few front-end features, Service Pack 2, released in August 2004, represented a significant overhaul for Windows XP. It introduced WPA Wi-Fi encryption after severe vulnerabilities were discovered in WEP. It also added partial Bluetooth support and revised the OS's firewall into an early version of today's Windows Security.
Plummer explained that Microsoft took this direction due to the appearance of the Blaster worm. The malware's threat was significant enough that the company ceased development of new user-facing features and spent months fixing bugs and revising Windows' security.
Echoing the period, the developer suggested that, instead of adding more AI features to Windows 11, Microsoft should stabilize the system and improve performance. Plummer is likely responding to a series of controversies that have made the company's AI push unpopular.
In its rush to keep pace with AI features from OpenAI, Google, and others, Microsoft is trying to turn Windows into an "Agentic OS" despite protests from critics. Since introducing Windows 11, it has added AI features to time-tested applications such as Paint and Notepad. Furthermore, Microsoft has repeatedly attempted to put Copilot AI assistant at the center of the user experience.
Amid the AI push, Windows 11 has encountered numerous serious problems, possibly resulting from AI-written code. Some updates broke Blu-ray playback on PCs, temporarily rendered the Windows Recovery Environment unusable, and made File Explorer more sluggish.
Due to these and other issues, almost a billion PCs still use Windows 10, which recently reached end-of-life. Windows 11 took nearly four years to overtake its predecessor's market share, and around 500 million devices that fail to meet its system requirements remain in use.