WW 966: You Can’t Spell Gmail Without AI - Is Microsoft’s AI Strategy Doomed to Burst?

Satya Nadella gave up much of his CEO duties in 2025. Are we on the cusp of a new CEO? And does some money manager/political duo like Amy Hood and Brad Smith actually make more sense in this role than an engineer-type for the modern Microsoft?

Microsoft is trying to win our hearts and minds on AI

• After spending three years trying to jam AI down our collective throats, Microsoft has only met resistance. Now, the real marketing begins
• Governments and regulators: Microsoft will build out its AI infrastructure by actually paying for it and respecting the communities in which this happens
• Customers: Satya Nadella is blogging, and he wants us to stop complaining about AI. He's the wrong messenger

Windows 11

• First Patch Tuesday of 2026 brings security and bug fixes but no new features
• First update of 2026 brings Copilot-powered image descriptions in Narrator, new IT policies for Copilot, other changes to Dev & Beta
• Dev is about to switch to 26H1
• IDC says that PC sales rose 8.1 percent in 2025, warns again about 2026
• The good & bad of Paul's Panther Lake laptop
• Dell doesn't sell any PCs to consumers so it obviously has opinions about why consumers don't buy PCs for AI
• Microsoft will soon retire its Lens mobile app

AI

• Apple predictably partners with Google to bring Gemini to Siri
• Samsung correctly points out we're all using AI already so there's no reason to complain about it
• We can't trust AI, so Microsoft is letting Copilot go shopping with our credit cards
• We can't trust AI, so OpenAI is giving ChatGPT access to our private health data
• Gmail is getting more AI because email is the low-hanging fruit of data collection

Xbox and gaming

• Developer Direct returns on January 22 with Fable and Forza 6 gameplay
• Microsoft to bring Avowed to PS5 in February

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Kick off 2026 with a security checkup
• App pick of the week: Microsoft Local Foundry
• RunAs Radio this week: Azure in 2026 with Jeremy Winter
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Don Julio 70

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

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