It's not certain if the shutdown will affect the US or other countries. We've asked Microsoft for more details.

The company isn't shy about its reasoning. It's moving Cortana into Outlook and other Microsoft 365 productivity apps, and shying away from its original attempt to position the AI helper as a direct rival to other stand-alone voice assistants. It's even giving Alexa prominent support in Windows. Cortana will carry on -- but you may have to change your habits if you want to keep using it.

Update 11/16 6:35PM ET: Microsoft tells Engadget that the Cortana app is also shutting down in China, India, Mexico, Germany and Spain. It's not a small move, then, even if the US and other countries aren't affected.