Microsoft Build 2026: New AI models, Copilot super app and what more to expect
Follow UsMicrosoft is expected to unveil MAI-Thinking-1, its first in-house reasoning model at Build 2026
A Copilot super app combining Microsoft's various AI assistants into one interface is in development
Windows is getting a developer-optimised mode with pre-installed tools and a distraction-free environment
Microsoft Build 2026 kicks off on 2 June in San Francisco, and this year’s edition is shaping up to be the most AI-concentrated version of the developer conference yet. The event takes place on 2 and 3 June at Fort Mason Centre, with CEO Satya Nadella opening proceedings at 9:30 AM PT (10 PM IST). The conference has moved to a smaller, more intimate venue compared to previous years, reflecting what appears to be a deliberate effort to reconnect with developers after a period of turbulence around Windows and GitHub. No Windows 12 announcement is on the agenda. What is on the agenda, in almost every session, is AI.
SurveyAccording to The Verge, sources indicate that Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman will unveil MAI-Thinking-1 at Build, the company’s first dedicated reasoning model. Notably, Microsoft has not used distillation to build it, meaning the model was not trained on outputs from other AI systems. It is expected to be targeted primarily at enterprise customers. The model is one of several new releases expected at the conference, with MAI-Image-2.5 and MAI-Image-2.5-Flash also anticipated. Suleyman teased the MAI-Image-2.5 release last week on X, promising more details at Build.
Agentic AI is everywhere
The entire Build 2026 session catalogue is built around agentic AI, the idea of systems that act autonomously on a user’s behalf across apps without needing to be prompted at each step. Agent Mode is already the default in Microsoft 365 Copilot products including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. At Build 2026, developers can expect to get a deeper look at Azure AI Foundry, Microsoft’s platform supporting models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, DeepSeek and others. Sessions will mostly be focused on deploying agents to production and managing the costs that come with it. OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger is also hosting a breakout session and Microsoft Scout, a new agent based on OpenClaw work, has already appeared in a leaked mockup of the Copilot super app.
Copilot super app: coming, but not yet
Microsoft is building a Copilot super app that consolidates its various AI assistants into a single interface. The Verge has confirmed the project is real, though a leaked screenshot circulating ahead of Build is just a mockup made for demonstrations. The app will not be available at Build and a preview is not expected until late summer. GitHub Copilot, meanwhile, is expected to be shown at a more advanced stage, with demonstrations covering its involvement across the full development workflow from suggestions to debugging to code review.
Windows gets a developer mode
Microsoft is expected to announce a developer-optimised mode for Windows 11 at Build 2026. It is rumoured to be a distraction-free setup that ships pre-loaded with the tools, scripts and apps developers actually want, addressing years of complaints about the default Windows experience. There will also be expanded support for local AI inference tied to NVIDIA’s RTX Spark, allowing developers to run models on-device rather than in the cloud. Windows chief Pavan Davuluri teased new hardware for developers last week and RTX Spark compact PCs from Microsoft and HP were notably absent from NVIDIA’s Computex showcase, leaving room for a Build announcement.
How to watch Microsoft Build live
Microsoft Build 2026 begins on Tuesday, 2 June with Satya Nadella’s keynote at 9:30 AM PT (10 PM IST). In-person attendance costs nearly $1,100, but Microsoft is streaming the entire conference for free on its website and YouTube channel.
Also Read: Microsoft Build 2026: 5 ways it might be entirely about AI
