TLDR: A California resident has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft, alleging that the company’s decision to discontinue support for Windows 10 is a deliberate strategy to force consumers into purchasing new devices equipped for generative AI, thereby monopolizing the burgeoning AI market. The plaintiff claims his Windows 10 laptops will become obsolete, highlighting the significant portion of users still on the older operating system.
A Southern California man, Lawrence Klein, has initiated legal action against tech giant Microsoft, filing a complaint in San Diego Superior Court. The lawsuit, brought forth on Thursday, August 7, 2025, centers on Microsoft’s impending discontinuation of routine support for its widely used Windows 10 operating system, slated for October 14, 2025. Klein alleges that this move constitutes a tactic of ‘forced obsolescence’ designed to compel users to upgrade their hardware and, crucially, to ‘monopolize the generative AI market.’
According to the complaint, Klein owns two laptops currently running Windows 10, which he asserts will become obsolete once Microsoft ceases support. While Windows 10-powered computers will not entirely cease functioning, they will no longer receive critical new features or security updates, potentially leaving users vulnerable.
Despite the launch of Windows 11 nearly four years ago, a substantial portion of Microsoft’s global user base, estimated at over a billion, continues to rely on the decade-old Windows 10. Data from StatCounter indicates that nearly 43% of Windows users still utilize the older version on their desktop computers. Windows 11 only recently surpassed its predecessor in market share in July 2025.
The crux of Klein’s argument lies in the integration of generative artificial intelligence into Microsoft’s ecosystem. Windows 11 comes bundled with Microsoft’s suite of generative AI software, including the prominent chatbot Copilot. For optimal performance, Microsoft’s AI applications require a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), a specialized piece of hardware typically found in newer tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. Older devices, such as those running Windows 10, generally lack this crucial component.
Klein’s lawsuit suggests that by ending support for Windows 10, Microsoft is intentionally creating a scenario where users must purchase new, NPU-equipped devices to fully leverage the company’s AI offerings, thereby solidifying its dominance in the generative AI sector.
The lawsuit also touches upon the potential environmental impact of this forced upgrade cycle. An analyst’s report from 2023 projected that Microsoft’s shift away from Windows 10 could lead millions of customers to discard their old devices, contributing up to 240 million PCs to landfills. The analyst vividly illustrated this, stating, ‘If these were all folded laptops, stacked one on top of another, they would make a pile 600km taller than the moon.’
Also Read:
- Global AI Patent Race Intensifies: US and China Vie for Dominance with Tech Giants and Academia at the Forefront
- Mediavine Urges U.S. Copyright Office for Stronger Creator Protections Against Generative AI
Lawrence Klein is seeking a court order to compel Microsoft to continue providing support for Windows 10 without additional charges, until the number of devices running the older operating system drops below 10% of the total Windows user base.
