The great programming transformation: How AI and Rust are quietly dethroning C in Linux - and Windows

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• Microsoft and Linux are adding AI and Rust to their pipelines.
• Microsoft is leaning much harder into AI development than Linux.
• Both are expanding Rust, but neither OS will be fully Rust soon.

Recently, Galen Hunt, a Microsoft distinguished engineer, wrote: "My goal is to eliminate every line of C and C++ from Microsoft by 2030. Our strategy is to combine AI and algorithms to rewrite Microsoft's largest codebases" and to "evolve and augment our infrastructure to enable translating Microsoft's largest C and C++ systems to Rust." 

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If that sounds to you like Microsoft is going to rewrite Windows using AI from C to Rust, you're not alone. Hunt has since backed away from ...