AI Is Entering Its DOS to GUI Era, Says Microsoft CPO 

Microsoft 365 is focused on combining intelligence with enterprise context and data to unlock new possibilities, according to the chief product officer (CPO) at Microsoft, Aparna Chennapragada, who told AIM in an exclusive conversation that “this is the golden age of building.”

Chennapragada said she thinks this is “the DOS-to-GUI moment of AI,” and added that Microsoft is pursuing two paths—integrating AI into familiar tools like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and developing AI-first interfaces such as the M365 Copilot app and new AI editors. 

She mentioned the recently launched COPILOT() function in Excel, which lets users analyse, generate content, and brainstorm directly in the grid. “We want to meet users where they are and help them there,” she said, pointing to use cases like taking meeting notes in real time. “We will continue to build such products and make them better.”

The CPO said Microsoft is also exploring new interface ideas, including a notebook-like experience for projects. Instead of repeatedly prompting an agent or Copilot, users would be able to view a document-style record of their work. “I do think there’ll be a lot of experimentation in interfaces, and different use cases will need just the right combination of chat plus canvas,” she noted.

Similarly, Ryo Lu, head of design at Cursor, wrote in a post on X that future interfaces should “flow like water”—meeting people the way they actually think, not the way we assume they should. “Some of us think in bullet points, some in conversations, others need to see everything mapped out visually,” he explained. 

The real breakthrough, he noted, will come when interfaces can shift seamlessly between chat, canvas, tables, or timelines depending on a user’s cognitive style—all while acting on the same ground truth.

“We’re moving from ‘here’s one single-purposefully built interface, deal with it,’ to interfaces that genuinely fit how minds and teams operate. not just understanding what you want, but how you want to receive and work with it,” Lu added. 

Taking the idea further, Karina Nguyen, research & product at OpenAI, wrote on X, “My vision for the ultimate AGI interface is a blank canvas. The one that evolves, self-morphs over time with human preferences and invents novel ways of interacting with humans, redefining our relationship with AI technology and the entire Internet.”

Interface for AI Agents 

There is a growing demand to build dedicated interfaces for AI agents. At YC’s AI Startup School, Andrej Karpathy argued that we need a new interface designed specifically for agents, noting that a new kind of software user has emerged—neither a human clicking through a GUI nor a backend system making API calls.

The changing face of the internet is another focus area. Microsoft recently announced NLWeb as an open standard to make websites agent-readable, a move Chennapragada believes is crucial for preserving the publishing ecosystem. 

“Today people think about search engine optimisation. Tomorrow we must think about making information available to AI engines in a way that preserves the publishing ecosystem,” she said.

Most recently, former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal launched a new startup which will allow the AI agents to interact with the public web in real time. “Agents are going to be the primary customers of the web going forward. They will use the web a lot more than humans ever have,” said Agrawal.

Karri Saarinen, co-founder and CEO of Linear, a tool for planning and building software products, argues that while AI is here, it still lacks proper form—and without it, its full potential will remain untapped.“Chat is the beginning, but not the final destination. We still need great interfaces to guide and set the context.”

Strategy to Build New Products

Chennapragada acknowledged that Microsoft has had to adapt quickly and operate with greater agility in the age of AI. She highlighted three major changes shaping the company’s approach.

The first, she explained, is making sure customers gain access to the latest advancements in intelligence as early as possible. “When GPT-5 launched, even before it was fully rolled out into ChatGPT, we gave Microsoft customers the ability to try it,” she said.

The second is about bringing customers along the journey so they can adopt and learn new ways of working. To achieve this, Microsoft has introduced what it calls the Frontier Program. “The idea is that the cutting-edge features, whether it’s the latest AI capability in Excel or a new M365 Copilot agent, should be available for any Microsoft customer to use,” she explained.

The third change, Chennapragada noted, is internal—focused on how Microsoft approaches product development in the age of AI. Traditionally, companies began with detailed product requirement documents and specifications before moving to prototypes and stakeholder reviews. With AI, however, the process looks very different. “You start with the prompt sets, not so much the PRDs (product requirements document), and you rely heavily on evaluations and benchmarks,” she said.

Team of AI Agents

Looking ahead, Chennapragada envisions a workplace where every employee has not just a Copilot but also a set of agents supporting their daily tasks. “If you hire a new employee, they should get a badge, a PC, and a team of virtual agents—whether that’s a researcher, a data scientist, or an HR helper. Employees will need to learn how to direct these agents effectively, which is managerial skill in itself.” 

The challenge, she said, lies not only in developing these high-value agents but also in training employees to use them and ensuring enterprise-grade trust, security, and compliance.For students and young professionals worried about jobs, Chennapragada’s advice is to treat AI as a contact sport. “Start building and using it. Some tasks will be automated, but new jobs like software operators will emerge. Don’t think of AI as a threat but as an amplifier.”

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