Leaked video reveals Microsoft explored a dedicated AI OS
What's the story
A leaked video from 2024 has revealed Microsoft's internal explorations of a dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) operating system (OS). The project, dubbed Aion, was built on a lightweight Windows codebase called Win3 and powered by Microsoft Edge. The three-minute-long video, shared on Discord server BetaWiki, as well as by Windows Central's Zac Bowden, gives a glimpse of early working code showcasing an innovative desktop UI centered around Copilot and agentic AI.
OS capabilities
Aion's unique features and web-based nature
The video highlights Aion's unique features, including a Taskbar with "Spaces," which automatically organizes apps and sites into a bucket for later access. The Start menu also displays these spaces, allowing users to open multiple items at once with a single click. However, it's important to note that Aion is web-based and doesn't support native Windows apps, only web apps and websites.
Future prospects
Potential for Windows compatibility
The video does mention an Aion version compatible with Windows 11, which would presumably support native Windows apps. The version shown in the video appears to be based on the Win3 codebase, a stripped-back version of the Windows codebase that doesn't support legacy Win32 apps. This was done in exchange for faster updates, longer battery life, and improved security.
Project status
Aion's experimental nature and shipping uncertainty
The Aion project was an experimental project, aimed at exploring what a desktop user experience could be if built from scratch around an agentic AI. However, it's unclear if Microsoft ever intended to ship this project. Windows Central reached out to Microsoft for comment, but the company declined to provide one.
OS evolution
Influence on current Windows version?
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Aion's future, it's possible that some insights gained from this project are already influencing the current version of Windows. Microsoft recently unveiled Project Solara, an agentic OS experience that uses just-in-time UI to create experiences as per user requests. It runs on both the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and Windows, much like Aion.