Another Microsoft team admits it’s struggling to handle flood of AI-generated code
Microsoft's Edge team has acknowledged it is struggling to keep pace with a surge in AI-generated browser extensions, echoing a similar admission from the Exchange team weeks earlier about AI-found bugs. The Edge team says AI-assisted coding has let developers build and submit extensions faster than before, but with fewer staff available after repeated rounds of redundancies, its review pipeline has become overloaded, leading to longer turnaround times for extension approvals.
To cope, Microsoft has automated many of the repeatable checks in its extension review process, aiming to speed up approvals while insisting review standards remain unchanged. The company says this frees human reviewers to focus on complex cases requiring judgement, and will also let it refresh the "Featured" badge for high-quality extensions every 15 days rather than less frequently, giving developers faster feedback and users a more current view of trusted add-ons.
In short
- AI-generated extensions are overwhelming Microsoft Edge's review team
- Microsoft automates checks to speed up its extension review pipeline
- "Featured" badge refresh cycle shortened to every 15 days
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The case for
Automating routine checks could help Microsoft manage a much larger flow of submissions, reduce avoidable delays for developers and let human reviewers concentrate on cases that need judgement. More frequent updates to the Featured badge could also help users identify trusted extensions sooner, while the company says its review standards remain unchanged.
The case against
A faster, partly automated review process may make it harder to catch harmful or low-quality extensions, especially if staff reductions have left fewer people to investigate difficult cases. Longer queues suggest the team is already under strain, so relying on automation and more frequent featured-list updates could risk prioritising throughput over careful scrutiny and user protection.
Explained simply
Browser extensions are small add-ons that change or expand what a web browser can do, such as blocking adverts or helping manage passwords. Microsoft’s Edge team reviews extensions before they appear in its store, where people can find and install them.
AI coding tools can help developers produce software more quickly, including these add-ons. The review process checks that extensions meet the store’s requirements, while Microsoft’s Featured badge highlights selected extensions it considers high quality.