The developer conference season is in full swing. Fresh off Google I/O and just before Apple’s WWDC, Microsoft’s Build event is on the horizon. As with recent editions, the focus will heavily lean toward artificial intelligence.
AI has become a necessity for tech firms, and Microsoft is well aware of that. So, what can attendees expect this year? We have a handful of predictions, and several speakers have already hinted at how AI is being prioritized inside Microsoft.
On Monday, CEO Satya Nadella will step onto the stage to outline the company’s recent achievements and its roadmap ahead. Here’s what we think he’ll cover.
When does Microsoft Build take place?
Microsoft’s Build developer conference is scheduled for June 2‑3 in San Francisco. The opening keynote starts at 10:00 a.m. PT on June 2. In‑person tickets cost close to $1,100, but the event will also be streamed live on YouTube for free.
Copilot and AI agents
Copilot serves as the flagship of Microsoft’s AI strategy, so it’s likely to dominate this year’s agenda. In the latest earnings call, Nadella explained that the company is “evolving our family of Copilots from synchronous assistants to async coworkers that can execute long‑running tasks across key domains.” Agent Mode has already become the default for several Office 365 Copilot products, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Agents are set to become the new standard for Microsoft. “We are at the beginning of one of the most consequential platform shifts that will change the entire tech stack as agents proliferate and become the dominant workload,” Nadella said.
Agentic AI has become ubiquitous, but its capabilities will likely sit at the heart of Microsoft’s announcements. Unlike a typical chatbot, an AI agent can act on your behalf—pulling relevant data from your inbox or even completing purchases for you.
We already know that Copilot is gaining more agentic features in Office 365, and we anticipate that trend will spread to other products and the operating system.
Any discussion of agentic AI in 2026 would be incomplete without mentioning OpenClaw, and Build is expected to include a segment on the viral AI‑agent tool. Its creator, Peter Steinberger—dubbed the “Clawfather”—will host a breakout session.
According to The Information, Microsoft may unveil a new coding model aimed at boosting GitHub Copilot usage. Additional models focusing on advanced reasoning, image generation, and speech are also reportedly in the pipeline.
Windows 12
Details on Windows 12 remain scarce, as Microsoft has been tight‑lipped. Still, the conference offers a prime opportunity to tease the next OS iteration. A glimpse of upcoming innovations would be welcomed, especially after Google’s recent announcement of a hybrid Android‑ChromeOS platform.
Not everyone is thrilled about AI integration in Windows, where Copilot can sometimes feel intrusive. This frustration has driven some users toward Linux‑based alternatives to escape the AI‑heavy environment.
It’s possible that Microsoft will simply roll out new features for Windows without assigning a fresh version number, but some level of announcement is expected.
Thinking beyond Xbox
There’s no clear sign that gaming will dominate the agenda, though a surprise could always emerge. In early May, Microsoft backed away from adding Copilot AI to its consoles, with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma posting on X that “Microsoft will begin winding down Copilot on mobile and stop development of Copilot on consoles.”
The future of Xbox remains uncertain, but it likely won’t occupy much, if any, stage time at Build this year.
