Microsoft is preparing what may be the most significant update to Windows 11 since the operating system launched in 2021. The forthcoming Windows 11 26H2 release, expected in the second half of 2025, promises to embed artificial intelligence deeply into the core Windows experience — starting with the humble File Explorer, which is about to become far more intelligent than the folder-browsing utility hundreds of millions of users interact with daily.

The update represents Microsoft’s clearest signal yet that it views AI not as a bolt-on feature but as a foundational layer of the Windows operating system.…