Microsoft Build 2026 is set to open in San Francisco on June 2, and this year’s event is already shaping up to be one of the company’s most AI-focused developer conferences yet.
The two-day conference will take place from June 2 to June 3 at Fort Mason Center, with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella scheduled to deliver the opening keynote at 9:30 a.m. PT on June 2. While some users may have hoped for a major Windows reveal, Microsoft has already made it clear that Windows 12 will not be announced at Build 2026.
Instead, the spotlight will be firmly on artificial intelligence, developer tools, cloud platforms, and the future of AI agents.
Microsoft Build 2026 puts AI agents at the center
The official session lineup points to a clear theme: Microsoft wants Build 2026 to be an AI-first event for developers, businesses, and enterprise software teams.
Key topics confirmed for the conference include agentic AI workflows, GitHub Copilot upgrades, Azure AI Foundry improvements, Windows-based AI development, and responsible AI tools. Microsoft is expected to show how developers can build, manage, and deploy AI agents more effectively across apps, cloud services, and enterprise environments.
A major part of that strategy is Microsoft Agent 365, the company’s enterprise platform for managing AI agents. The service became generally available on May 1, 2026, and Build is expected to expand on how companies can use it to control AI agents at scale, apply governance rules, and integrate them into everyday workflows.
Azure AI Foundry will be a major focus
Azure AI Foundry is expected to play a central role throughout Microsoft Build 2026. The platform already supports a wide range of AI models from companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, DeepSeek, and others.
At Build, Microsoft is likely to focus on how developers can choose the right models for different tasks, route workloads efficiently, manage costs, and move AI agents from testing into real-world production environments.
Cost control is expected to be a major discussion point. As more companies adopt generative AI, monitoring token usage, reducing unnecessary spending, and enforcing responsible AI policies have become critical priorities. Microsoft is expected to explain how Azure AI Foundry can help businesses track usage, apply compliance rules, and maintain better control over AI deployments.
Windows 11 and local AI development
Although Windows 12 is not part of the agenda, Windows will still have a major presence at Build 2026.
Microsoft has confirmed a dedicated track for Windows local AI development. This will focus on tools and APIs that allow developers to build AI-powered features that run directly on Windows devices rather than relying entirely on the cloud.
The company has been expanding on-device AI through the Windows 11 Copilot Runtime, and Build 2026 is expected to give developers a clearer look at how to build applications that take advantage of local AI processing.
Recent Windows 11 Insider updates have already hinted at this direction. A May 30 preview build introduced a fully customizable Start menu along with expanded local AI capabilities, suggesting that Microsoft sees Windows as an important platform for hybrid AI experiences that combine cloud intelligence with on-device performance.
GitHub Copilot is expected to get smarter
GitHub Copilot will also be one of the main attractions at Build 2026. Microsoft has confirmed sessions focused on agentic coding workflows, multi-agent support inside Visual Studio Code, and deeper integration between GitHub and Azure.
The company is expected to show how Copilot can evolve from a code suggestion tool into a more capable AI development partner. That could include AI agents that help plan projects, review code, debug issues, generate tests, and manage tasks across the software development lifecycle.
Copilot CLI, which became generally available in March 2026, is also expected to receive attention. Microsoft may use Build to show how command-line AI workflows can become more powerful with multi-agent support, giving developers new ways to automate work directly from the terminal.
No Windows 12, but plenty for developers to watch
For anyone waiting for Windows 12, Microsoft has already set expectations: it is not being announced at Build 2026. However, that does not mean the event will be light on major updates.
This year’s conference appears designed to show how Microsoft plans to bring AI deeper into every layer of its ecosystem, from Azure and GitHub to Windows and enterprise productivity tools. The message is clear: AI agents, local AI, cloud-based model management, and developer automation are becoming central to Microsoft’s long-term platform strategy.
How to watch Microsoft Build 2026
Microsoft Build 2026 begins on June 2, with Satya Nadella’s keynote scheduled for 9:30 a.m. PT. The keynote will stream for free through Microsoft’s official Build website and the company’s YouTube channel.
All sessions are expected to be available on demand after the event, giving developers, IT leaders, and AI enthusiasts a chance to catch up on the announcements and technical deep dives at their own pace.
