What Microsoft Announced

Microsoft has announced a long-term plan to replace all its C and C++ code with the Rust programming language by the end of 2030. The goal comes straight from Microsoft Distinguished Engineer Galen Hunt, who shared the company’s ambitious vision on LinkedIn.

This shift is intended to modernize Microsoft’s most important codebases, including parts of the Windows operating system and other core technologies. Rust is known for memory safety features that help prevent common vulnerabilities, making it attractive for secure, large-scale software development.

The Role of AI and Algorithms

To accomplish this enormous change, Microsoft is betting big on the use of AI and algorithmic infrastructure. The plan revolves around the comprehension and modification of code at large scale to facilitate high-level refactoring automation.

The internal ambition for the system is pretty ambitious: one engineer, one month, one million lines of code. Once this goal is achieved, Microsoft will have the power to very quickly rewrite a large part of its old to-new code conversion very effectively.

Why Rust Matters

C and C++ have always been associated with powerful programming languages, but nowadays Rust has them beat in terms of safety considerably, mainly due to the way it handles memory. The removal of specific kinds of errors related to manual memory management allows Rust to be less prone to crashes and security vulnerabilities. Microsoft's strategy indicates a general interest of the whole industry in Rust for low-level and critical-software areas.

The project further extends the already made decisions in the last years. In 2023, Microsoft revealed its intention to convert some portions of the Windows kernel into Rust and also imposed limits on new C and C++ projects, while granting preference to Rust instead. This new plan pushes that commitment to the next level.

Infrastructure and Talent Needs

To support this transition, Microsoft has created specialized code-processing systems that map out source code and then apply AI agents to make changes at scale. These tools are already operating on real projects.

Microsoft is also seeking talent to help build and improve these systems, including engineers with production-quality Rust experience. The complexity of rewriting such extensive codebases means deep expertise will be essential.

Context and Industry Impact

This initiative places Microsoft among the most aggressive adopters of Rust in enterprise software. Many companies experiment with Rust for new projects, but few have committed to wholesale replacement of legacy languages across massive codebases.

If successful, Microsoft’s effort could prompt similar moves in other organizations where security and reliability are strategic priorities.

Long-Term Outlook

The transition will happen over years, with incremental milestones and many technical challenges. But the plan underscores Microsoft’s belief that safer, modern languages are worth the effort to improve software quality and reduce long-term risk.