Windows will be reimagined for the agentic era before Copilot executive leaves next year

Back in November 2025, Microsoft announced plans to change Windows in a major way by evolving it into an "agentic OS" to cater to the AI era. Naturally, this statement received a lot of backlash from frustrated Windows 11 users, who lamented that Microsoft should fix the basics of its OS before making such ambitious plans. Windows chief Pavan Davaluri eventually acknowledged this sentiment, and as we know, Microsoft is currently working on a "Windows K2" initiative to tackle these concerns. However, it seems like plans for an agentic OS haven't been binned just yet. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Business Insider spotted an internal Microsoft memo that revealed that Microsoft veteran Yusuf Mehdi is departing the company after spending 35 years there. For those unaware, Mehdi is an Executive Vice President at the firm, a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), and also leads product marketing initiatives for Copilot, AI, Windows, Surface, Microsoft 365, Bing, and Edge.

Perhaps the most revealing part of the memo is the section in which Mehdi says that he'll be transitioning to a new role for the next fiscal year, where he'll be focusing on "reimagining" Windows for the agentic era, among other things, before eventually departing. An excerpt from the memo reads:

[...] In alignment with Satya and Takeshi, I will work through the next fiscal year to help reimagine Windows for the agentic era, grow Microsoft 365 services, and bring our One Copilot vision to life.Those of you who know me, know this means I'll be fully engaged, likely more intensely than ever! I've always believed the right way to finish is the same way I've always tried to lead: with urgency, ambition, and a commitment to leave things stronger than I found them.There will be time later to reflect and celebrate, but for now, it's full speed ahead on our mission.

The aforementioned statement may rub some the wrong way, especially considering the general disdain against Copilot and other AI initiatives at Microsoft. It also highlights an interesting approach at Microsoft where the company is publicly emphasizing that it is being more mindful about introducing AI experiences in its products, but internally, the end goal is to ensure that Windows is ready for the AI era.

It's something that we have talked about before: the fact that the Redmond firm understands the dislike for the Copilot brand, but knows that it can integrate AI experiences with relatively little resistance by simply rebranding them. Over the next few months, it'll be important to understand the scope and impact of Mehdi's vision, along with consumer sentiment surrounding the evolution of Windows.