Microsoft is trimming several AI actions from File Explorer’s right-click menu, even as a Windows design executive reveals that AI is helping the team work faster and contribute code fixes. For frustrated users, the bigger concern is whether Microsoft can deliver more reliable updates.
Microsoft is making changes to Windows 11’s AI integration, removing several Copilot actions from File Explorer’s context menu. However, the move has been overshadowed by comments from a senior executive confirming that the Windows design team is already using AI to speed up its work.
The remarks have triggered criticism online, with some users linking Microsoft’s growing use of AI to Windows 11’s long-running complaints about bugs, problematic updates, and software reliability.
Windows 11 is cutting back on some Copilot options
According to a Microsoft 365 Message Center announcement reported by Windows Latest, Microsoft plans to remove several OneDrive-related Copilot actions from File Explorer’s right-click menu.
The affected options include:
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Summarize files
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Create FAQs
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Compare files and images
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Ask a question
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Explain images
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Extract text
These features are associated with OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service, rather than being universal Windows tools.
The changes are scheduled to begin rolling out in mid-November, with the options expected to disappear from the context menu by the end of the year.
Importantly, the functionality will not disappear entirely. Users will still be able to access the actions through the Ask Copilot icon in the right-click menu.
For people who rarely use these features, the change may make File Explorer feel less cluttered. Others may barely notice the difference.
Microsoft executive confirms AI is helping the Windows design team
The more controversial development concerns comments from Diego Baca, Microsoft’s vice president of design for Windows.
Responding on X to a discussion about making Windows’ design more consistent, Baca expressed support for using AI agents and explained that the technology was already helping his team.
He said AI had helped the design team accelerate its work significantly, adding that designers were now contributing directly to code fixes intended to improve the quality, consistency, and polish of Windows.
That admission has raised concerns among some users who fear Microsoft could increasingly rely on AI-generated code without adequate human oversight.
However, Baca did not say that AI was responsible for writing large portions of Windows 11, nor did he suggest that the operating system’s development process had been handed over to AI.
The extent of AI’s role in the team’s work remains unclear.
Why are Windows users reacting so strongly?
The backlash appears to reflect wider frustration with Windows 11 rather than the use of AI alone.
Some users on Reddit have complained about recurring update problems, broken functionality, and security vulnerabilities. Others have expressed concern that Microsoft could be using AI to generate code too quickly, without enough testing or review.
One recurring sentiment is that users have already noticed what they perceive as declining software quality, and the confirmation of AI-assisted development has given them another reason to question Microsoft’s approach.
Some critics have even used the derogatory term “Microslop” to describe their dissatisfaction with Microsoft’s AI-heavy direction.
These reactions are opinions, however, and do not establish that AI is responsible for Windows 11’s bugs or update failures.
Is AI actually responsible for Windows 11’s problems?
Not necessarily.
AI tools can help designers explore ideas, make interface adjustments, and contribute to relatively small code changes. Used appropriately, they may reduce development time and help teams maintain a more consistent design.
But AI-assisted development still requires careful testing, code review, and quality assurance. Faster production does not automatically translate into better software.
Baca’s comments do not reveal how frequently designers contribute code fixes, how complex those fixes are, or what checks are performed before changes are released.
It is therefore premature to conclude that Windows 11 is being extensively “vibe-coded” — a term used to describe software development driven heavily by AI-generated code.
The more fundamental question is whether Microsoft’s engineering and quality-assurance processes are sufficiently robust to catch problems before updates reach users.
Microsoft’s biggest challenge remains Windows 11 reliability
The criticism highlights a distinction Microsoft needs to address: using AI to improve productivity is not inherently a problem, but shipping unreliable software is.
If AI helps the Windows design team deliver interface improvements faster, that could be beneficial. Yet those gains will mean little to users if updates continue to introduce disruptive bugs or leave existing problems unresolved.
Microsoft needs to demonstrate that any productivity gains from AI are accompanied by thorough testing, effective code review, and dependable updates.
Ultimately, the controversy is about trust. Windows users want an operating system that works consistently, not simply one that incorporates more AI features or is developed more quickly.
The takeaway: Windows 11’s Copilot context-menu changes are relatively minor, and Microsoft’s use of AI in design work is not proof that AI is causing its software problems. The real test will be whether Microsoft can improve Windows 11’s reliability while adopting these new development tools.