Microsoft Targets Voice-First Interaction for Next Windows Release

Microsoft is preparing to make voice commands the dominant way people interact with its operating system. In an interview published 14 August on the official Windows IT Pro channel, Pavan Davuluri, corporate vice president for Windows and Devices, said the "next chapter" of Windows will treat voice as the primary input while expanding to a fully multimodal interface that also recognises pen, touch, vision and traditional peripherals. Davuluri explained that forthcoming releases will embed generative-AI models directly on the device and in the cloud so the system can understand on-screen context, execute spoken requests and streamline search. Features such as Copilot Vision, improved Windows Search and context-aware task automation are intended to give users what he called "productivity superpowers" without relying exclusively on keyboard or mouse. Microsoft has begun seeding pieces of the overhaul in recent Windows 11 Insider builds and through its Copilot service. While the executive did not confirm a launch date, the company signalled that the redesign—informally referred to as "Windows 12"—should arrive within the next five years, coinciding with the phase-out of Windows 10 support and a broader hardware push around AI-focused "Copilot PCs."