Integrations of AI into the originally-slated “agentic OS” may be reduced or rebranded after multiple public setbacks.

After months of user backlash from users, Microsoft is scaling back its aggressive AI push in Windows 11, with internal plans to streamline or remove certain Copilot‑driven features and rethink the troubled Recall system.

According to a report by Windows Central, the firm is reevaluating how AI appears in the operating system, including reviewing Copilot buttons in built‑in apps such as Notepad and Paint, and may either remove those integrations or strip the Copilot branding in favor of quieter, more contextual tools.

Work on adding new AI elements to in‑box applications has also been paused as the firm shifts toward a less intrusive rollout strategy.

According to Pavan Davuluri, president of Windows development, Microsoft has acknowledged the criticism, telling The Verge that feedback from customers and Windows Insiders has been “clear”, and that his firm will focus in 2026 on improving system performance, reliability, and the overall Windows experience rather than cramming in more AI‑centric UI.

The backlash had intensified after Davuluri’s November 2025 tweet describing Windows as evolving into an “agentic OS”, which drew thousands of negative replies and led him to disable comments on the post. Subsequently, a problematic January 2026 update that caused boot failures, shutdown bugs, and crashes in services such as OneDrive and Remote Desktop had further eroded trust and reinforced user demands for stability over novelty.

Windows Recall, the AI‑powered “photographic memory” feature that captures screenshots of user activity, is under particular scrutiny. Security researchers initially flagged serious privacy and security flaws in its 2024 design, prompting Microsoft to delay its release for a year, and later to make it opt‑in with encryption and Windows Hello requirements.

Internal sources now tell Windows Central that Microsoft believes Recall has “failed” in its current form, although the firm is exploring ways to evolve the concept rather than abandon it entirely, possibly even dropping the Recall name.