Microsoft Wants to Eliminate All C and C++ Code by 2030 Using Rust and AI

Hello HaWkers, a bombshell statement from a Microsoft engineer is stirring up the development community. Galen Hunt, a distinguished engineer at the company, revealed his personal goal: to eliminate every line of C and C++ code from Microsoft by 2030, using a combination of Rust and artificial intelligence.

Is this really possible? And what does it mean for the future of software development? Let's analyze.

The Statement That Shook the Industry

In December 2025, Galen Hunt shared his vision:

"My goal is to eliminate every line of C and C++ from Microsoft by 2030."

This is not an official company goal, but it reflects a significant mindset shift within the tech giant. The strategy involves combining algorithms and AI to rewrite Microsoft's largest codebases.

The Context Behind the Statement

Why does Microsoft want this?

The main motivation is security. Internal Microsoft studies show that approximately 70% of security vulnerabilities in their products are related to memory issues - exactly the type of bug that Rust was designed to eliminate.

Numbers that explain the urgency:

70% of Microsoft CVEs are memory issues
Billions of dollars spent annually on security patches
Windows has tens of millions of lines in C/C++
Each vulnerability can cost millions in damages

How AI Fits Into This Equation

Microsoft doesn't plan to do this migration manually - it would be impractical. The strategy is to use AI to automatically translate C/C++ code to Rust.

The Research Project

The team is developing code translation tools that combine:

1. Deep Semantic Analysis:

Understanding what the C/C++ code does, not just its syntax
Mapping memory patterns to safe Rust equivalents

2. AI Code Generation:

Models trained on millions of lines of code
Ability to handle complex C++ patterns

3. Automatic Verification:

Automated tests to ensure functional equivalence
Static analysis to detect translation issues

Conceptual Translation Example

See how a typical C function could be translated to Rust:

Original C code (vulnerable):

// C code with potential buffer overflow
char* process_input(const char* input) {
    char buffer[256];
    strcpy(buffer, input);  // Dangerous! No size check

    char* result = malloc(strlen(buffer) + 1);
    if (result == NULL) {
        return NULL;
    }

    strcpy(result, buffer);
    return result;  // Caller needs to remember to free memory
}

Translated Rust code (safe):

// Equivalent Rust code with guaranteed memory safety
fn process_input(input: &str) -> Option<String> {
    // Rust automatically manages memory
    // There is no risk of buffer overflow

    if input.len() > 256 {
        return None;
    }

    // String in Rust is automatically managed
    Some(input.to_string())
}

The fundamental difference: Rust code cannot have buffer overflows or memory leaks by design.

Where Microsoft Already Uses Rust

This is not a distant dream - Microsoft is already adopting Rust in production:

Azure and Cloud Infrastructure

Microsoft has been adopting Rust in critical Azure components:

Components in Rust:

Parts of the hypervisor
High-performance network drivers
Storage services

Reported results:

90% reduction in memory bugs
Performance equivalent to or better than C++
Lower maintenance cost

Windows 11

Windows 11 already includes Rust code in some areas:

Where Rust is already present:

Some kernel drivers
Security components
New subsystems

Planned expansion:

More drivers migrating to Rust
UI components (via WebView2)
System services

The Challenges of Massive Migration

Despite the optimism, the migration faces significant obstacles:

Scale of the Problem

Code to be migrated:

Windows: tens of millions of lines
Office: millions of lines
Azure: massive infrastructure
SQL Server: decades of C/C++ code

Technical Complexity

Not all C/C++ code translates well to Rust:

// C++ code with patterns that don't map directly to Rust

class LegacyComponent {
private:
    void* opaqueHandle;  // Opaque pointer - problematic in Rust

public:
    // Multiple inheritance - Rust doesn't support directly
    // Callbacks with global state - requires refactoring
    // Complex macros - need to be rewritten

    void unsafeOperation() {
        // Code that assumes total memory control
        // Automatic translation may not preserve semantics
    }
};

Current AI Limitations

Automatic translation still has problems:

Identified challenges:

AI can introduce subtle bugs
Idiomatic Rust code vs literal translation
Preserving performance in extreme cases
Integration with legacy code that won't be migrated

What This Means for Developers

Career Opportunities

If Microsoft is betting on Rust, other companies will follow. This creates demand for:

Skills in high demand:

Rust programming
Legacy code migration
Rust/C++ interoperability
Code translation tools

Salary ranges in the US (2025):

Rust Developer: $150k - $250k
Systems Engineer (Rust): $160k - $280k
Migration Specialist: $140k - $220k

Learning Rust in 2026

If you want to prepare for this trend, here are the first steps:

// Your first Rust program
fn main() {
    // Variables are immutable by default
    let message = "Hello, Rust world!";
    println!("{}", message);

    // For mutability, use 'mut'
    let mut counter = 0;
    counter += 1;

    // Ownership - fundamental concept
    let text = String::from("Rust");
    let size = calculate_size(&text); // Borrowing
    println!("{} has {} characters", text, size);
}

fn calculate_size(s: &String) -> usize {
    s.len()
}

Community Reaction

Skeptics

Many developers doubt the 2030 goal is achievable:

Skeptics' arguments:

Code scale is gigantic
AI is still not reliable enough
Legacy code has complex dependencies
Cost may be prohibitive

Optimists

Others see this as inevitable:

Optimists' arguments:

Microsoft has resources for this
AI is evolving rapidly
Security cost justifies investment
Other companies have successfully migrated

The Future of Systems Programming

Regardless of whether Microsoft reaches its 2030 goal, the trend is clear:

Memory-Safe Languages Dominating

Growing Rust adoption:

Linux Kernel now permanently accepts Rust
Google uses Rust in Android and Chrome
Amazon uses Rust in AWS infrastructure
Apple investing in Rust for iOS/macOS

AI as a Migration Tool

The role of AI:

Won't replace programmers
Will accelerate code migrations
Will automate repetitive tasks
Will reduce modernization cost

💡 Perspective: AI is not eliminating programming jobs - it's creating new specializations in supervision and validation of generated code.

Conclusion

The goal of eliminating C/C++ from Microsoft by 2030 is ambitious, perhaps even unrealistic. But what's important is not whether they'll succeed exactly by 2030 - it's that one of the world's largest technology companies is betting heavily on Rust and AI to solve fundamental security problems.

For developers, the message is clear: Rust is no longer a niche language. It's becoming essential for anyone who wants to work with systems and infrastructure.

If you're interested in how Rust is changing the ecosystem, I recommend checking out another article: Oxlint 1.0 Hits the Market: The Rust Linter That Promises to Be 100x Faster Than ESLint where you'll discover how Rust is revolutionizing even JavaScript tools.