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Intel and Microsoft appear to be gearing up for the possibility of a yet-to-be-announced Windows 12 operating system. Hardware leaker @leaf_hobby, known for revealing Intel Xeon chip specs prior to launch, has leaked details about Intel’s Meteor Lake desktop platform. According to the leaker, Intel’s next-generation CPUs will support Windows 12, an unreleased operating system.
Although the tweet has since been deleted, it’s worth noting that Meteor Lake is expected to feature 20 PCIe Gen5 lanes and support for Windows 12. While Intel has refused to comment on the leak, Microsoft has also declined to comment on the reports of Intel preparing to support Windows 12.
Microsoft has not announced any plans for Windows 12, but it is already exploring ways to integrate AI-powered features into future versions of the operating system. According to Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s head of consumer marketing, the company will consider AI’s natural role in the user experience while developing future versions of Windows.
Mehdi was discussing the latest Windows 11 update, which includes AI-powered features such as a new Bing search engine accessible from the taskbar and AI-powered recommended content within the Start menu for business users. Microsoft is also reportedly working on AI-powered smart snapping features for Windows 11.
Windows chief Panos Panay has previously stated that AI will reinvent how users interact with Windows, and Microsoft’s Surface team has hinted at the potential impact of AI on PC usage. To make AI-powered features more widely available, Microsoft would need to work closely with hardware partners such as Intel and AMD to optimize chips capable of handling AI workloads.
AMD has already launched its Ryzen 7000 mobile processors, which include a dedicated AI engine capable of supporting Microsoft’s Windows Studio Effects, typically only available on Arm-powered hardware with a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU). It is clear that AMD and Microsoft are laying the groundwork for more AI-powered features in traditional Windows laptops.
Intel’s upcoming Meteor Lake, expected later this year or in early 2024, will also include similar AI capabilities to those introduced on AMD’s Ryzen 7000 mobile CPUs. Intel will be playing catch-up to Apple’s M2 chips, which feature a dedicated AI chip capable of handling 15.8 trillion operations per second.
Microsoft shifted back to a three-year release cycle for Windows in 2020, indicating that the next major version of Windows may be due in 2024. This timing could align well with new CPUs from Intel and AMD, and Microsoft’s focus on more frequent updates to Windows 11 suggests that AI-powered features will become more prevalent in the near future.
