In a recent discussion, David Weston, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President for Enterprise and OS Security, shared his insights on the future of Windows, particularly as we approach 2030. The conversation highlighted the transformative role that artificial intelligence (AI) will play in shaping the enterprise and security landscape.
Weston emphasized that AI technologies, including Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, are already redefining how we work. He noted that the integration of AI agents could significantly reduce the monotonous tasks that employees currently face, allowing them to focus on more creative and human-centric responsibilities. “In five years, I strongly believe you’ll be able to hire a security expert, but actually under the hood, it’s an AI agent,” he stated. This shift would enable interactions that mimic human communication, as these AI agents would participate in meetings, respond to emails, and manage tasks much like a human employee.
“This evolution will set folks up to do less of what we call the ‘toil work’—the work we don’t love today—and allow you to focus on what humans are good at: ideation, creativity, vision, and connecting with others about necessary products,” Weston explained. He envisions these AI agents as “net amplifiers,” enhancing our capabilities and enabling us to achieve what was once thought impossible.
Windows 12 Will Doubtlessly Come with Heavy AI Integrations
Looking further ahead, Weston speculated about the future iterations of Windows, suggesting that they will radically alter our interaction with technology. He believes that the traditional methods of “mousing around and typing” will soon feel as outdated as MS-DOS does to today’s younger generations. “I think we will do less with our eyes and more talking to our computers,” he remarked. “The computer will be able to see what we see, hear what we hear, and we can talk to it and ask it to do much more sophisticated things.”
To illustrate this point, Weston highlighted the limitations of current voice command systems, such as Microsoft Copilot’s “Hey Copilot” feature, which, while a step in the right direction, still falls short of full functionality. For AI systems like Copilot to reach their potential, they will require significantly more cloud computing power, a challenge that Weston is already considering in the context of quantum computing.
“We will have unlimited compute in the form of quantum. We know that will change the security landscape dramatically,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons we’re introducing post-quantum or quantum-safe encryption now.” As the technology landscape evolves, so too must our approaches to security and interaction.
While details about Windows 12 remain sparse, one certainty is the anticipated integration of AI capabilities. Whether we will completely abandon traditional input devices remains to be seen; however, the notion of voice becoming a “third” peripheral for enhanced multitasking is certainly within the realm of possibility.
