Microsoft is embarking on a transformative journey, aiming to phase out C and C++ in favor of Rust over the next five years. This ambitious engineering modernization initiative has sparked discussions within the tech community, particularly following a recent LinkedIn post by Galen Hunt, a Distinguished Engineer at Microsoft. In his announcement, Hunt stated that the company intends to “eliminate every line of C and C++ from Microsoft by 2030.”
Hunt elaborated on the role of AI in this transition, indicating that AI agents, guided by sophisticated algorithms, would facilitate large-scale code modifications. He noted that the foundational infrastructure for this initiative is already operational, addressing challenges such as code comprehension. This strategic pivot towards Rust is not entirely new; Microsoft has been gradually integrating the programming language into its ecosystem. In 2022, David Weston, the corporate VP for OS security and enterprise, disclosed a million investment in Rust, aiming to establish it as the company’s “first-class language” for engineering systems.
Progress has been notable, particularly with the introduction of Rust-based kernel features in Windows as part of the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25905, as reported by ITPro in 2023. During a keynote at RustCon 2025, Azure CTO Mark Russinovich shared insights into Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to Rust, highlighting the company’s efforts to fully embrace the language.
Microsoft’s Rust project courts controversy
Initially, Hunt’s comments suggested that AI would play a significant role in the rewrite of some of Microsoft’s largest codebases. This aligns with the company’s recent trends, as CEO Satya Nadella revealed that AI now accounts for up to 30% of the code generated at Microsoft. However, the mention of AI sparked some backlash, leading Hunt to clarify in a subsequent edit that “Windows is NOT being rewritten in Rust with AI.” He emphasized that this initiative is a research project aimed at developing technology to facilitate migration between programming languages.
Hunt’s intention was to attract like-minded engineers to join this multi-year endeavor, rather than to signal a definitive strategy for Windows 11 or imply that Rust represents a final destination in their development journey.
Rust is in vogue
Microsoft is not alone in its shift towards Rust. Other tech giants are also recognizing the advantages of this programming language. Lars Bergstrom, director of engineering at Google’s Android team, noted that teams adopting Rust have experienced significant gains in productivity and efficiency. Furthermore, a 2024 initiative from DARPA revealed plans to utilize AI tools for translating C code into Rust, further underscoring the growing trend.
The impetus behind this shift largely revolves around security concerns. Traditional languages like C and C++ have been plagued by persistent security vulnerabilities, particularly related to memory management. These memory-safety issues have become a common headache for enterprise security teams and developers, drawing attention from security agencies on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2022, the US National Security Agency (NSA) recommended organizations transition to memory-safe programming languages, including Rust, Python, or Java. Recent advisories from the NSA and CISA reiterated this guidance, encouraging developers to embrace safer programming practices.
‘1 engineer, 1 month, 1 million lines of code’: Microsoft wants to replace C and C++ code with Rust by 2030 – but a senior engineer insists the company has no plans on using AI to rewrite Windows source code
Microsoft is embarking on a transformative journey, aiming to phase out C and C++ in favor of Rust over the next five years. This ambitious engineering modernization initiative has sparked discussions within the tech community, particularly following a recent LinkedIn post by Galen Hunt, a Distinguished Engineer at Microsoft. In his announcement, Hunt stated that the company intends to “eliminate every line of C and C++ from Microsoft by 2030.”
Hunt elaborated on the role of AI in this transition, indicating that AI agents, guided by sophisticated algorithms, would facilitate large-scale code modifications. He noted that the foundational infrastructure for this initiative is already operational, addressing challenges such as code comprehension. This strategic pivot towards Rust is not entirely new; Microsoft has been gradually integrating the programming language into its ecosystem. In 2022, David Weston, the corporate VP for OS security and enterprise, disclosed a million investment in Rust, aiming to establish it as the company’s “first-class language” for engineering systems.
Progress has been notable, particularly with the introduction of Rust-based kernel features in Windows as part of the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25905, as reported by ITPro in 2023. During a keynote at RustCon 2025, Azure CTO Mark Russinovich shared insights into Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to Rust, highlighting the company’s efforts to fully embrace the language.
Microsoft’s Rust project courts controversy
Initially, Hunt’s comments suggested that AI would play a significant role in the rewrite of some of Microsoft’s largest codebases. This aligns with the company’s recent trends, as CEO Satya Nadella revealed that AI now accounts for up to 30% of the code generated at Microsoft. However, the mention of AI sparked some backlash, leading Hunt to clarify in a subsequent edit that “Windows is NOT being rewritten in Rust with AI.” He emphasized that this initiative is a research project aimed at developing technology to facilitate migration between programming languages.
Hunt’s intention was to attract like-minded engineers to join this multi-year endeavor, rather than to signal a definitive strategy for Windows 11 or imply that Rust represents a final destination in their development journey.
Rust is in vogue
Microsoft is not alone in its shift towards Rust. Other tech giants are also recognizing the advantages of this programming language. Lars Bergstrom, director of engineering at Google’s Android team, noted that teams adopting Rust have experienced significant gains in productivity and efficiency. Furthermore, a 2024 initiative from DARPA revealed plans to utilize AI tools for translating C code into Rust, further underscoring the growing trend.
The impetus behind this shift largely revolves around security concerns. Traditional languages like C and C++ have been plagued by persistent security vulnerabilities, particularly related to memory management. These memory-safety issues have become a common headache for enterprise security teams and developers, drawing attention from security agencies on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2022, the US National Security Agency (NSA) recommended organizations transition to memory-safe programming languages, including Rust, Python, or Java. Recent advisories from the NSA and CISA reiterated this guidance, encouraging developers to embrace safer programming practices.