Windows Weekly Ep. 959: "Thurrott Syndrome" – Microsoft Faces AI Backlash as Windows 11 Evolves

Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Leo Laporte
Co-hosts: Paul Thurrott & Richard Campbell

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Microsoft's ongoing push into AI, reactions to the company's aggressive integration of "agentic" AI into Windows 11, and the community backlash over recent leadership and announcements. The hosts break down the major Ignite 2025 news, developer reactions to AI features, the evolution of Copilot and agent systems, and broader industry shifts—including a candid debate on user feedback, trust, and the challenges Windows faces as it evolves. The episode also covers the state of gaming hardware, some hands-on impressions of the Lenovo Legion Go 2, and the culture of online outrage toward Microsoft.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ignite 2025 Recap & Microsoft Leadership

• Satya Nadella notably absent from the Ignite keynote; Judson Althoff took the lead.
  • “We didn't get too far into the Nadella era before I observed... he’s best when he comes out and just does a quick little intro… then takes off.” —Paul [05:37]
• Leadership churn and title inflation discussed; the complexity of Microsoft’s org chart.
  • “At some point, you have a thousand corporate vice presidents… We’re losing titles at the top.” —Paul [02:43]
• IGNITE overwhelmingly focused on AI, with scant attention to other areas.

2. The AI Backlash & “Agentic AI” in Windows 11

• Agentic AI: The next wave where AI acts autonomously on the user's behalf (e.g., monitoring flights, automating purchases).
  • “Now we have the second wave and the second wave is agentic AI... We’re still at the point where we describe these things in exactly the same way: 'AI is going to work in the background to do things on your behalf.'” —Paul [13:34]
• Skepticism and trust issues: General users and power users express concerns about AI embedded throughout Windows.
  • “We have to build an incredible foundation around every part of this for this to work—because the end game is not just finding it and telling me, it’s literally taking my credit card and buying this thing.” —Paul [14:15]
• Developer Discontent:
  • Frustrations using GitHub Copilot—running out of credits before AI gets it right.
    • “You spent my AI credits. You were wrong repeatedly… now I don’t get to do this anymore.” —Paul [18:05]
• AI Hype Fatigue: Strong backlash online to Microsoft execs’ (esp. Pavan Davuluri) posts about Windows as an “agentic OS.”
  • “The sheer weight of crap that fell on this guy, personal attacks, threats… It made me so sad.” —Paul [45:24]

3. The Changing Windows User Community

• "Thurrott Syndrome": Term suggested for the cycle of online outrage when Windows changes.
• Online Outrage vs. Reality: The vocal minority’s negativity on Twitter, YouTube, etc., vs. actual user needs.
  • “Don’t you think the vast majority of users are more level-headed?” —Leo [53:03]
  • “These people represent less than 1% of the world.” —Paul [53:10]
• Desire for stability vs. progress:
  • “There’s always a tiny crowd, shaking a fist: ‘leave Notepad alone!’ ...but if it doesn’t make this transition, it’s probably not coming along for the ride.”—Paul [40:57],[41:15]

4. Technical Announcements & Windows Evolution

• Copilot expansion:
  • Now available in Microsoft 365 apps for free (web data only).
  • New lower-cost “Copilot Business” for SMBs.
  • Agents for Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.
• Agent365: Service for managing multiple AI agents across Microsoft products.
  • “We have so many agents now that we need a service to manage those agents. Of course it’s called Agent365.” —Paul [36:07]
• Windows AI runtime keeps changing names:
  • Windows Copilot Runtime → Windows AI Foundry → Microsoft Foundry.
  • Frequent branding shifts reflect rapid rate of change in AI strategy.
• Dev Builds: Release of Copilot Labs "Copilot Actions," settings improvements, external camera support for Studio Effects, and streamlined context menus.

5. Interoperability and Partner News

• AI Industry “circle of life”: All major AI players (Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, Anthropic) now interlinked via investments, partnerships, or joint features.
  • “My cynical rationale... is literally tied to jamming this down our throats while we’re not going to be regulated, and making it happen as quickly as possible.” —Paul [26:59]
• Standardization is happening fast compared to past tech cycles, with AI companies racing for premature dominance.

6. AI Models, Trust & User Experience

• Gemini 3 (Google) & OpenAI GPT 5.1 launches: Notable for their media rollouts and focus on coding.
  • “Gemini 3 was seeded to the media in a way I have never seen.” —Paul [75:32]
• Trust in AI as the missing link:
  • “If there is a single thing missing in the AI toolchain... it’s literally trust.” —Paul [78:23]
  • Discussion of “thinking” models and providing transparency into how answers/scripts are generated—increases user comfort.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Community Outrage

• “You are just noise. You are just noise. If you have something constructive... great. But if all you want to do is say ‘nobody wants this, nobody wants that’ — we’re better off without you.” —Paul [47:12]

On Lack of Progress

• “I don’t disagree, but you know what’s worse? Not going anywhere.” —Richard [56:30]

On Personal Attacks

• “The sheer amount of hate and terribleness that this guy received from us—I mean literally me and people like me—it made me so sad. There is no call for that.” —Paul [46:05]

On Trust & Transparency in AI

• “This is a human condition thing... if something’s wrong, you complain about it every single day. And then in my case, what will happen is three days later she’ll be like ‘hey, whatever it was, was bothering you—everything fine?’ ... I wonder if with AI, everyone has these examples of AI hallucinating and the stupid responses—but at some point you just start using it as a tool...” —Paul [79:01]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:33] – Ignite keynote recap, Satya Nadella’s absence
• [13:34] – Agentic AI: what it means, example use cases
• [18:05] – Frustrations with Copilot in developer workflow
• [25:49] – Claude/Anthropic and managing AI code generation
• [35:49] – Windows Copilot, “Copilot Business”, Agents, Agent365
• [39:12] – Windows as an “agentic OS”, user feedback, initial Pavan Davuluri uproar
• [45:24] – Social media backlash and community toxicity
• [53:03] – Are power users over-representing mainstream users?
• [66:17] – Insider program releases, Copilot Labs, new Windows 11 features
• [73:59] – Gemini 3 and GPT 5.1 launch, and thoughts on trust in AI
• [92:39] – Gaming: Lenovo Legion Go 2 hands-on review; Steam Machine
• [108:06] – Tip of the Week: Tiny11 Builder to debloat Windows
• [124:48] – Whiskey segment: Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve

Additional Highlights

Gaming Hardware & Steam Machine Revival

• The hosts dissect the new Steam Machine, discussing how PC hardware finally matured enough for consoles built on PC architecture to "just work."
• “Everyone dumped on Xbox for being a PC—you look at the new Steam Machine, it’s a PC, but people are like ‘yep, take my money!’” —Paul [98:22]

Tip of the Week: Minimal Windows Installs

• Paul recommends using Tiny11 Builder to create lightweight, debloated Windows 11 installs for performance and stability—especially useful for removing unwanted AI or bundled apps.
  • “Instead of bullying the guy who runs Windows, you could actually fix the problem... It’s an incredible solution.” —Paul [108:06]

Tone & Style

This episode features candid, sometimes exasperated, but always deeply informed and nuanced conversation. Paul and Richard, both long-time Microsoft insiders, blend technical depth with personal experience and dry humor. Leo mediates and introduces community perspectives (and nerdy tangents).

The frustration with online toxicity is palpable, as is a strong plea for more thoughtful, less reactionary engagement with technology’s changing landscape. While critical of Microsoft’s messaging and the AI hype cycle, the hosts remain sympathetic to the ever-growing complexity of managing one of the world’s most used operating systems.

Summary for Non-Listeners

If you missed this episode, you got a masterclass in the growing pains of Microsoft’s transformation into an AI-first company. You’ll walk away understanding why AI in Windows 11 is both a promise and a provocation, how enterprise and hobbyist communities are reacting (not always kindly), and how developers and end-users alike will be wrestling with these rapid changes well into the future. The panel offers real-life examples, essential context, and pragmatic advice (plus a splash of high-end Irish whiskey for good measure).

For further details and the latest updates, visit Thurrott.com and runasradio.com.