Microsoft Build is all set to kick off at 10 a.m. PT on June 2 with a keynote from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
As PCMag reports, 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 Microsoft’s developer-focused AI push will most likely eventually transform the broader Windows experience.
AI Agents Are Coming to Windows Whether or Not You Want Them
As PCMag’s Chris Hoffman reports, Microsoft has 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 Apps
After 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.
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 Windows
Microsoft 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 Windows
AI 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.
How to Watch Microsoft Build 2026
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.
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