Microsoft Build 2026 Preview: The AI Takeover of Windows Has Officially Begun | PCMag
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Microsoft Build is all set to kick off at 10 a.m. PT on June 2 with a keynote from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and I'll be there in person to experience everything firsthand. This year, the conference is taking place at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, a smaller venue than last year’s at the Seattle Convention Center. The change in location is thoughtful: Microsoft is holding the event in the AI industry’s backyard and focusing on a more targeted group of "AI developers, technical leaders, and enterprise developers.“The annual conference has historically catered more to businesses and developers than Apple WWDC or Google I/O, so that's not surprising. Considering the intended audience and the steady rollout of Windows features so far this year, Build isn't likely to have too much interest for general Windows users. But Satya Nadella could always surprise everyone in his keynote, and I'm confident that Microsoft’s developer-focused AI push will eventually transform the broader Windows experience. Below are the major trends I'll be watching for at the event as I attend in person, along with my thoughts on what they all mean for Windows. You May Also Like
How to Watch Microsoft Build 2026Before I get into the details, know that you can register to attend Microsoft Build online for free via the registration page. In-person access costs $1,099 and requires Microsoft’s approval. Digital registration includes access to livestreamed and recorded sessions. Even without registering, you can watch the main keynote on the Microsoft Build website or the Microsoft Developer YouTube channel. Microsoft’s session catalog lists 375 options. However, many sessions are available only for in-person participants and do not offer recordings.AI Agents Are Coming to Windows Whether or Not You Want ThemMicrosoft invited OpenAI’s Peter Steinberger, creator of the OpenClaw AI agent system, as a featured speaker. Microsoft employees are also holding multiple sessions with titles such as Claws on Windows that will discuss building OpenClaw agents. The open-source OpenClaw is an experimental project, but Microsoft imagines AI agents will increasingly become stable, mainstream technology. The company even has a session that promotes using Windows 365 cloud PCs to run AI agents rather than running them locally.Another session discusses how to “design systems for every user, including people and LLMs.” Technology companies increasingly see AI agents—not just people—as the target users for the software they design.Agentic coding with GitHub Copilot is yet another major focus. “Agent supervision is the new senior engineering skill,” reads the title of one session.Microsoft Is Betting AI Will Revive Native Windows AppsAfter years of prioritizing web application technologies, Microsoft is turning its attention back to native Windows 11 apps. One Build session discusses using AI agents to create native Windows apps with the WinUI 3 framework. The company likely sees AI-assisted coding as the path to building a compelling and unique ecosystem of native Windows apps.
Copilot+ PCs (Credit: Weston Almond)
The Arm version of Windows 11 is already compatible with most existing Windows applications. However, not all x86 applications created for AMD and Intel CPUs run on Copilot PCs with Qualcomm Snapdragon hardware. One Build session encourages the use of agentic AI to port x86 applications to Arm versions of Windows.Microsoft Is Bringing Linux-Based AI Software to WindowsMicrosoft will be discussing improvements to Windows Terminal and the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which lets you run Linux software on Windows, in a pair of sessions. The company is focused on AI even as it pertains to these existing developer tools. For example, Microsoft says WSL is getting improvements that enable you “to build AI-powered applications on Windows.” Many of the local AI applications in question are written for Linux.Microsoft also recently launched Azure Linux 4.0, a Linux distribution designed for Microsoft’s cloud computing platform and WSL. One session will cover “how Azure Linux supports cloud-native and AI workloads.” What Build 2026 Reveals About Microsoft's Future for WindowsAI is obviously the theme that ties the majority of Build 2026’s sessions together. The OpenClaw AI agent software, despite its major security problems, is a clear influence this year. After all, OpenClaw-style agents need a desktop operating system like Windows to work. This focus isn't anything new, however, as Microsoft previously announced AI agents you can control from the Windows taskbar and Model Context Protocol (MCP) integrations for Windows 11, the latter of which hasn't yet shipped. Recommended by Our Editors Microsoft Is Finally Fixing Windows 11's Web App Problem. It's About Time Windows Update Hype vs. Reality: Why I'm Skeptical Microsoft Is Finally Fixing the 4 Worst Things About the Windows 11 Insider Program
Microsoft is also betting that AI-assisted coding will lead to a productivity boom, a position it shares with many other big tech companies. If Microsoft is right, you will see more high-quality native applications for Windows PCs going forward, with AI coding agents taking over the heavy lifting. Windows might have more to gain from AI-assisted programming than other operating systems, since many developers have shifted their development efforts to Android, iOS, and the web.What Microsoft Is Unlikely to Announce at Build 2026Nadella may speak more about Microsoft’s plans to transform Windows with AI in his keynote, but he likely won’t announce significant changes to Microsoft's operating system for regular PC users. As mentioned, Windows 11 is already getting some long-awaited improvements, which Microsoft announced prior to Build.Don't Expect Xbox or Gaming NewsMicrosoft’s new Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma, has publicly discussed changes to Xbox, and the company has already lowered Xbox Game Pass prices. She recently announced the cancellation of Copilot gaming features for Xbox, too, saying that it “[doesn’t] align with where we’re headed.” Microsoft will likely invest in promoting AI-assisted coding for game developers going forward, but Build 2026’s session catalog doesn’t list any sessions involving gaming or Xbox.New Hardware Seems UnlikelyMicrosoft probably won’t announce any new Surface hardware at the event, either. It has already released the Surface Laptop for Business and Surface Pro for Business with Intel’s latest Panther Lake chips. Announcements around standard Surface Laptop and Surface Pro machines with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X2 hardware are set for later in 2026, not at Build.I'll Be Reporting Live From Microsoft Build 2026Stay tuned—I'll be reporting from the ground at Build 2026, so be sure to check out our event page for the latest coverage.
About Our Expert Chris Hoffman Senior Writer, Software Experience I've been writing about technology for more than 15 years and using it in earnest for over twice as long. As a member of PCMag's software team, I focus on Windows coverage, but also write about other key desktop operating systems and system apps. (I used Windows 3.1 upon its release and have followed every subsequent release closely).Prior to joining PCMag, I wrote for How-To Geek starting in 2011, and my articles amassed