Windows President on Windows 11 AI Backlash: “We Have Work to Do”

Microsoft’s head of Windows, Pavan Davuluri, has publicly responded to growing user dissatisfaction with the platform, acknowledging that the company must address concerns over reliability, performance, and ease of use. In a recent social media post, Davuluri confirmed that he and his team are actively reviewing extensive user feedback, balancing input from official product feedback systems with direct user comments.

Davuluri stated, “The team and I absorb a tremendous amount of feedback. We weigh what appears in our product feedback channels against what we hear firsthand. These perspectives don’t always align, but both carry significant weight. After reading through the comments, I notice a clear emphasis on areas like system reliability, overall performance, and usability.”

This response was prompted by criticism from developer Gergely Orosz, who voiced concerns about Windows as a development platform. Davuluri addressed this directly, saying, “We care deeply about developers. We recognize there is work to be done on the user experience, spanning everyday usability issues, such as inconsistent dialog boxes, to more advanced power user features. In our team meetings, we discuss these pain points thoroughly because we want developers to choose Windows.”

Although Davuluri later disabled replies on his initial post about Windows evolving into an “agentic OS”, a move some interpreted as an effort to limit negative comments, his latest communication strikes a more reassuring tone. It confirms Microsoft’s awareness of the broader backlash and its intention to resolve platform issues beyond just AI integration, paying special attention to the needs of developers and power users who rely on Windows daily.

He specifically highlighted long-standing problems like inconsistent user interface dialogs and underwhelming power user tools, issues that have plagued Windows for many years. Over the past decade, the operating system has frequently been criticized for its lack of interface cohesion and overall polish, contributing to a perception that the platform feels outdated and neglected.

Compounding these problems is Microsoft’s “Continuous Innovation” update model, which delivers new features and changes on a monthly basis. While intended to keep the OS feeling fresh, this approach has often generated frustration. Many users report that frequent, smaller updates introduce more complications than benefits, preferring a single major annual update similar to strategies used by Apple and Google.

By moving away from large, predictable releases, Windows now introduces new features as soon as they are ready, resulting in a near-constant cycle of change. This not only diminishes the impact of significant new versions but also leaves users feeling that the platform is never truly stable.

This rapid release cadence also increases the likelihood of new bugs appearing each month. In earlier versions of Windows, new features underwent extensive testing, sometimes for a year or more, before public release. Under the current system, some features move from preview to final release in a matter of weeks, reducing the time available for thorough quality assurance.

Despite these challenges, Davuluri’s acknowledgment of user feedback is a positive signal. It indicates that Microsoft is conscious of the criticism surrounding its heavy focus on integrating AI into Windows 11. While the company is unlikely to abandon its AI initiatives, this recognition suggests that resources may also be directed toward improving system stability and refining the experience for advanced users.

(Source: Windows Central)