TECH NEWS – With Project K2, Microsoft wants to cut away the AI-heavy “dead weight” that has grown massively in recent years.
Windows 11 has had its ups and downs. From the start, it faced broad resistance because of features such as Recall and its strong emphasis on artificial intelligence. Those choices negatively affected the system, and together with the ongoing Windows Update issues, Microsoft’s current operating system is far from perfect. Microsoft is now trying to win back the trust of Windows users through a new internal initiative called Project K2. That effort is expected to address some of the biggest complaints surrounding Windows 11, including a pullback on AI features, a reduction in unnecessary clutter, and general improvements to performance and stability.
Up to this point, Microsoft has largely followed an agile workflow, pushing new features out as quickly as possible without the level of testing many users would have preferred. That led to uneven quality, but K2 is meant to change that. It is not that no checking or testing existed before K2, but rather that the process is being tightened up so a higher standard of quality can be maintained. Internally, Microsoft has also identified several critical areas where it trails competitors in performance. These reportedly include applications such as File Explorer and gaming in general. The company has released multiple updates, but benchmark testing still showed that Windows 10 could outperform Windows 11.
Gamers are a key part of the Windows 11 ecosystem, and that is reportedly why Microsoft has chosen SteamOS as one of its performance benchmarks. The company is now working to bring gaming performance up to SteamOS levels, and its internal estimates suggest it could surpass Valve’s operating system within two years. The previously mentioned File Explorer update is also expected to bring meaningful changes by offering a faster file-management interface instead of the current heavier design. Windows Update is likewise expected to require only one restart per month rather than demanding restarts every time a new update rolls out. Another useful feature K2 is expected to deliver is the option to install only critical hardware drivers while skipping broader Microsoft updates.
Memory usage is also expected to drop, as the company wants to reduce further unnecessary overhead within the operating system. AI features are likewise expected to be cut back significantly. Microsoft recently pushed a new update to its preview channel that added AI agents to the Windows 11 taskbar. While such features may be useful for some AI-related tasks, the overwhelming majority of PC users do not need them, and they consume valuable system resources. Other elements highlighted for Windows 11 K2 include interface improvements and new functionality. On paper, all of this sounds excellent, but we will still have to wait and see whether Microsoft delivers even half of it. Windows 11 K2 will not be a separate operating system launch, but rather an iterative release within the Windows 11 ecosystem through updates and refinements.
Hopefully, this will allow users to decide for themselves what they actually need on their PC instead of being forced to carry a pile of unnecessary features that hardly anyone uses.
Source: WCCFTech, Windows Central
