It might be because it had something of a rocky start, but it sometimes seems like Windows 11 is only just reaching its maturity, what with the continuing march of added features and substantial Windows 11 updates released over the past year. However, those of you who've only recently made the switch may be surprised to learn the release of Windows 12 might not be far away, as soon as June 2024 if recent reports are to be believed.
According to Taiwanese financial paper The Commercial Times, Acer CEO Jason Chen and the chairman of PC manufacturer Quanta, Barry Lam, were both present at the Medical Taiwan trade show this week, and they appeared to have plenty to say about what they think computing might look like in the near future. However, there's some information here that's got the rumour mill cranking, and it's related to a potential release date for Windows 12.
The article itself opens with the translated line "Microsoft Windows 12 will be launched in June 2024", although there is no given source to backup this claim. However, while there's not a direct quote regarding the potential release from the executives themselves, the paper reports (in regards to Barry Lam), that "he expects that next summer, when Microsoft launches a new generation of Windows operating systems, AI PCs will also be launched one after the other''.
Jason Chen meanwhile was described as optimistic about generative AI and the ongoing progress of AI PCs, which are thought to potentially be a primary focus of Windows 12, with some outlets reporting a possibility that some form of baseline readiness may even be a requirement.
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Speculation aside, this isn't the first time we've heard talk of a potential Windows 12 release next year. Back in October we reported on similar hints of a 2024 "refresh" from Intel CFO Dave Zinsner, and Microsoft's own development cycle update also seemed to tease a 2024 release, with a suggestion that Windows would get a major new release every three years.
Details might be scant for now, but we can get some sort of insight into what Windows 12 might look like if we take a closer look at some of the most recent Windows 11 updates for clues as to where Microsoft might be heading. Certainly the recent focus seems to be pointed squarely at AI integration, and while the Microsoft Copilot AI assistant might not have made a particularly big splash upon its debut it's a safe bet to say it's likely to be a glimpse at things to come.
Let's not also forget MS Paint's Dall-E AI integration and the introduction of AI based text recognition and redaction features recently added to the Windows 11 Snipping Tool. It seems so far like Microsoft might be going all-in on AI for its future releases, and while the usefulness of these additions to the end user is debatable at this point, it's a clear indicator that whatever the next version of Windows might be, AI integration within the OS is likely going to end up front and centre, whether we like it or not.
