Technical engineer conference season. Hot on Google I/O and just before WWDC for AppleHere’s a Microsoft developer conference, Build. With almost all the events of the last few years, we expect the Windows maker to focus more on AI.
An AI focus is a must for a tech company these days, and Microsoft knows that. But what exactly can we expect from this year’s conference? We have a few guesses, and some of the session speakers said a lot about how AI is viewed at Microsoft right now.
On Monday, CEO Satya Nadella will take the stage and tell the world about what Microsoft has been up to and its plans for the future. Here’s what to expect.
When is Microsoft Build?
Microsoft’s Build developer conference will be held on June 2 and June 3 in San Francisco. The opening keynote will begin on June 2 at 10:00 am PT. Event attendees in person shelled out about $1,100, but much of the event will be streamed live on YouTube, where the event can be viewed for free.
Copilot and AI agents
Copilot is now the vehicle for Microsoft’s AI efforts, so we expect it to play a big role during this year’s conference. During Microsoft’s latest earnings callNadella said the company is “transforming our family of Copilots from synchronized assistants to synchronized co-workers who can perform long-duration tasks in all critical domains.” In fact, Agent Mode is now the default mode for all Office 365 Copilot products, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Agents will be the new norm and focus for Microsoft going forward. “We’re at the beginning of one of the most important platform shifts that will change the entire technology stack as agents proliferate and become more of a workload,” Nadella said.
Being the newest and hottest thing in the world of AI, Agent AI it’s almost boring to talk at this point. It’s everywhere. But its power will likely be at the center of Microsoft’s announcements. Unlike a traditional chatbot, agent AI can perform tasks for you. The agent can deliver relevant information to your email inbox or even buy it for you.
We already know that its AI assistant, Copilot, is there having an additional agent in Office 365and we expect that to continue in the products and the app.
It’s hard to talk about agent AI in 2026 without talking about OpenClaw, and Build will include some discussion around the viral AI agent tool. The “Clawfather” himself, OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger, hosted this year’s breakout session.
Another possibility reported by Information is that Microsoft may introduce a new coding model to increase the number of people using its GitHub Copilot. Other models are also on the way, according to the report, focusing on advanced thinking, images and speech.
Windows 12
We don’t have much to say about Windows 12 because Microsoft hasn’t said much, either. However, this would be a good time to announce the next version of the company’s operating system. Giving at least a glimpse of what’s to come seems reasonable, and it will be interesting if Microsoft has something really innovative, especially on the heels of Google’s announcement of its new OS combining Android and ChromeOS.
Not everyone is impressed with the AI in Windows, as it is practically inevitable. Microsoft has been adding AI features to its operating system, and Copilot itself can sometimes feel more awkward than helpful. All this frustration has led many users to look to Linux-based operating systems to free themselves from the loaded AI found in Windows.
What ended up happening was nothing. Microsoft will undoubtedly announce new features coming to Windows, but they may not need a new version number to highlight them.
Think outside the Xbox
There’s no indication that Microsoft will waste any time on sports, though there’s always the possibility that it might have something up its sleeve. In early May, the company delayed adding Copilot AI to its gaming consolesand Asha Sharma, CEO of Xbox, said in X’s post, “Microsoft will start shutting down Copilot on mobile and stop development of Copilot on consoles.”
What’s next for Xbox is anyone’s guess, but we don’t think it will take up much, if any, space at Build this year.
