REDMOND (dpa-AFX) - Microsoft (MSFT) is aiming to remove all C and C++ code from its major codebases by the end of the decade, replacing it with Rust as part of a broad effort to modernise its software and reduce technical debt.
The company's distinguished engineer, Galen Hunt, said the long-term objective is to fully transition Microsoft's largest systems to Rust by combining algorithm-driven tooling with AI agents capable of refactoring code at massive scale. The approach is built on internal infrastructure that maps and analyzes source code, then applies AI-guided modifications across millions of lines at a time.
The move follows Microsoft's recent push toward memory-safe programming. In 2023, the company began rewriting parts of the Windows kernel in Rust after Azure CTO Mark Russinovich instructed teams to stop launching new C and C++ projects and shift to Rust instead. Earlier this year, Russinovich said the company was fully committed to Rust and had expanded its use across core systems.
Microsoft is now looking to accelerate the transition through more automated translation of legacy C and C++ code into Rust using large language models. As part of that effort, Hunt announced plans to hire a principal software engineer with deep experience in systems-level Rust development, ideally with a background in compilers, databases, or operating systems.
The Rust refactoring initiative sits within Microsoft's Future of Scalable Software Engineering group under its CoreAI organization. The team's mandate is to develop tools and techniques that allow Microsoft and its customers to remove technical debt at scale and roll those capabilities out across the company and the wider industry.
Wednesday, MSFT closed at $488.02, up 0.24%, and is trading after hours at $487.58, down 0.09%, on the NasdaqGS.
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