微软年度开发者大会 Build 2026 于 6 月 2 日在旧金山举行，主题演讲提供直播。预计将宣布新的 AI 模型、类似 OpenClaw 的智能体工具，以及配合 Windows 11 重大变革的 Copilot “超级应用”。此外，鉴于微软刚发布了搭载 Nvidia RTX Spark 的 Surface Laptop Ultra，本次大会可能还会有更多关于 Windows on ARM 的动态。
原文 · 未翻译
Tech
Microsoft Build 2026: All the news about Windows, AI, RTX Spark, and more
Microsoft Build 2026 kicked off with a keynote presentation that introduced some developer-focused Windows updates, an OpenClaw-based AI assistant called Scout, the new Majorana 2 quantum computing chip, and a Surface mini PC designed for AI developers. Microsoft also rolled out a new Android-based OS called Project Solara that’s designed for gadgets that run AI agents.
Build will continue through June 3rd, and we’ll have all the updates on Microsoft’s announcements here.
Follow along here for the latest news and updates.
Highlights
Microsoft and OpenAI broke up — now they’re ready to fight
A first look at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface Dev Box
Microsoft Build 2026: The 7 biggest announcements
Microsoft’s next-gen quantum chip cuts timeline to useful quantum computing
Microsoft’s first advanced reasoning AI is here
Microsoft Scout is a new AI personal assistant built on OpenClaw
Microsoft’s Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgets
Microsoft’s new developer-optimized Windows embraces Linux even more
Microsoft created the mini Surface dev box that Qualcomm couldn’t
How to watch Microsoft’s Build 2026 conference
Jun 9Nick StattMicrosoft swears its OpenAI breakup isn’t a messy divorce.Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman came on Decoder this week to talk about the path to superintelligence and the company’s ever-evolving relationship with OpenAI. When asked whether Microsoft was using Build to flex its independence from OpenAI like a “freshly single divorcée,” Suleyman had this to say:Definitely not. No, not at all. Look, I mean, obviously that’s a cool headline and a fun phrase. But the reality is that we are in partnership with OpenAI for years and years to come… So naturally, that’s going to continue. And so I think that’s just a natural course of these sorts of partnerships.I don’t think it’s anything untoward or surprising. I think OpenAI is very understanding and supportive of that. I mean, they’ve obviously been an incredibly fast-growing company, and they understand that we have to pursue our own agenda as well.
微软年度开发者大会 Build 2026 于 6 月 2 日在旧金山举行，主题演讲提供直播。预计将宣布新的 AI 模型、类似 OpenClaw 的智能体工具，以及配合 Windows 11 重大变革的 Copilot “超级应用”。此外，鉴于微软刚发布了搭载 Nvidia RTX Spark 的 Surface Laptop Ultra，本次大会可能还会有更多关于 Windows on ARM 的动态。
原文 · 保持原样，未翻译
Tech
Microsoft Build 2026: All the news about Windows, AI, RTX Spark, and more
Microsoft Build 2026 kicked off with a keynote presentation that introduced some developer-focused Windows updates, an OpenClaw-based AI assistant called Scout, the new Majorana 2 quantum computing chip, and a Surface mini PC designed for AI developers. Microsoft also rolled out a new Android-based OS called Project Solara that’s designed for gadgets that run AI agents.
Build will continue through June 3rd, and we’ll have all the updates on Microsoft’s announcements here.
Follow along here for the latest news and updates.
Nick Statt
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman came on Decoder this week to talk about the path to superintelligence and the company’s ever-evolving relationship with OpenAI. When asked whether Microsoft was using Build to flex its independence from OpenAI like a “freshly single divorcée,” Suleyman had this to say:
Definitely not. No, not at all. Look, I mean, obviously that’s a cool headline and a fun phrase. But the reality is that we are in partnership with OpenAI for years and years to come… So naturally, that’s going to continue. And so I think that’s just a natural course of these sorts of partnerships.I don’t think it’s anything untoward or surprising. I think OpenAI is very understanding and supportive of that. I mean, they’ve obviously been an incredibly fast-growing company, and they understand that we have to pursue our own agenda as well.
Definitely not. No, not at all. Look, I mean, obviously that’s a cool headline and a fun phrase. But the reality is that we are in partnership with OpenAI for years and years to come… So naturally, that’s going to continue. And so I think that’s just a natural course of these sorts of partnerships.
I don’t think it’s anything untoward or surprising. I think OpenAI is very understanding and supportive of that. I mean, they’ve obviously been an incredibly fast-growing company, and they understand that we have to pursue our own agenda as well.
Jun 4Tom WarrenWindows is back on the Microsoft menuImage: The VergeI can’t remember the last time Microsoft kicked off a Build keynote with Windows front and center, but that’s exactly what CEO Satya Nadella did this week. Nadella didn’t address the issues Microsoft is trying to fix in Windows 11 but chose to woo the audience with Microsoft’s slick Surface RTX Spark Dev Kit instead, calling it a “dream machine.”Nadella unveiled the new Surface hardware just days after Nvidia officially returned to Windows on Arm with its new RTX Spark chips. Both companies are talking up these chips as some kind of new beginning for PCs, and it’s clear that RTX Spark will drive local AI workloads in a way that Microsoft’s previous Copilot Plus PCs haven’t yet managed.Read Article >
Tom Warren
Windows is back on the Microsoft menu
I can’t remember the last time Microsoft kicked off a Build keynote with Windows front and center, but that’s exactly what CEO Satya Nadella did this week. Nadella didn’t address the issues Microsoft is trying to fix in Windows 11 but chose to woo the audience with Microsoft’s slick Surface RTX Spark Dev Kit instead, calling it a “dream machine.”
Nadella unveiled the new Surface hardware just days after Nvidia officially returned to Windows on Arm with its new RTX Spark chips. Both companies are talking up these chips as some kind of new beginning for PCs, and it’s clear that RTX Spark will drive local AI workloads in a way that Microsoft’s previous Copilot Plus PCs haven’t yet managed.
Jun 3Sean HollisterNvidia is already planning N2X and N3X chips — the goal is the Star Trek computerJensen Huang, chief executive officer of Nvidia Corp. Bloomberg via Getty ImagesJust in case you were wondering, Nvidia’s RTX Spark isn’t supposed to be a one-off. The company is not just flirting with becoming the fifth high-profile vendor of consumer laptop chips to see if people bite. At Computex 2026 in Taipei, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang confirmed at least two additional generations of RTX Spark are already planned. The eventual goal, he said, is to build Star Trek-like computers and and Star Wars-like droids you can order around with your voice.“I want to talk to my laptop! I want R2-D2!” he told analysts and investors at Computex, revealing that he started working with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella “about three years ago” to build toward that goal.Read Article >
Sean Hollister
Nvidia is already planning N2X and N3X chips — the goal is the Star Trek computer
Just in case you were wondering, Nvidia’s RTX Spark isn’t supposed to be a one-off. The company is not just flirting with becoming the fifth high-profile vendor of consumer laptop chips to see if people bite. At Computex 2026 in Taipei, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang confirmed at least two additional generations of RTX Spark are already planned. The eventual goal, he said, is to build Star Trek-like computers and and Star Wars-like droids you can order around with your voice.
“I want to talk to my laptop! I want R2-D2!” he told analysts and investors at Computex, revealing that he started working with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella “about three years ago” to build toward that goal.
Jun 3Hayden Field and Tom WarrenMicrosoft and OpenAI broke up — now they’re ready to fightImage: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesAt Microsoft’s annual Build conference on Tuesday, the company announced a slew of new or expanded AI initiatives, including a super app, in-house reasoning models, a cybersecurity tool, and OpenClaw-esque AI agents. All this news added up to a clear message: Microsoft is positioned to be one of the biggest players in AI, and it’s finally acting like it.For years, Microsoft’s AI business leaned hard on its early and exclusive partnership with OpenAI. But the drama-filled marriage slowly devolved into a situationship, and the pair effectively separated in late April (though Microsoft is still OpenAI’s primary cloud partner — for now). This year’s Build had the vibe of a freshly single divorcée posting a thirst trap on Instagram. “It’s always fun to be at developer conferences in times of great change,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said onstage Tuesday, adding that events like this are about “coming to grips with the new opportunity.”Read Article >
Hayden Field and Tom Warren
Microsoft and OpenAI broke up — now they’re ready to fight
At Microsoft’s annual Build conference on Tuesday, the company announced a slew of new or expanded AI initiatives, including a super app, in-house reasoning models, a cybersecurity tool, and OpenClaw-esque AI agents. All this news added up to a clear message: Microsoft is positioned to be one of the biggest players in AI, and it’s finally acting like it.
For years, Microsoft’s AI business leaned hard on its early and exclusive partnership with OpenAI. But the drama-filled marriage slowly devolved into a situationship, and the pair effectively separated in late April (though Microsoft is still OpenAI’s primary cloud partner — for now). This year’s Build had the vibe of a freshly single divorcée posting a thirst trap on Instagram. “It’s always fun to be at developer conferences in times of great change,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said onstage Tuesday, adding that events like this are about “coming to grips with the new opportunity.”
Jun 3Tom WarrenA first look at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface Dev BoxThe Surface Laptop Ultra.Microsoft has two new Surface devices arriving later this year, both powered by Nvidia’s RTX Spark chips. I got a chance to take a closer look at both the Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box at Microsoft’s Build conference this week, and while both have the same chip inside, they’re utilizing Nvidia’s RTX Spark in different ways.The Surface Laptop Ultra looks and feels very much like a 16-inch MacBook Pro. There are no transforming hinges, detachable displays, or any other tricks — this is a clamshell laptop built with performance in mind. Microsoft has opted for a 15-inch mini LED panel, which operates at up to 2,000 nits of HDR brightness. I got to see that peak HDR level in a dark room, and I can confirm it’s a very, very bright display. In fact, it’s the brightest display Microsoft has ever put on a Surface device.Read Article >
Tom Warren
A first look at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface Dev Box
Microsoft has two new Surface devices arriving later this year, both powered by Nvidia’s RTX Spark chips. I got a chance to take a closer look at both the Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box at Microsoft’s Build conference this week, and while both have the same chip inside, they’re utilizing Nvidia’s RTX Spark in different ways.
The Surface Laptop Ultra looks and feels very much like a 16-inch MacBook Pro. There are no transforming hinges, detachable displays, or any other tricks — this is a clamshell laptop built with performance in mind. Microsoft has opted for a 15-inch mini LED panel, which operates at up to 2,000 nits of HDR brightness. I got to see that peak HDR level in a dark room, and I can confirm it’s a very, very bright display. In fact, it’s the brightest display Microsoft has ever put on a Surface device.
Jun 3Dominic PrestonKnow your audience, I guess.Microsoft has a vision for its future AI hardware concepts, including an AI ID badge. It doesn’t feel entirely new, but it does feel very Microsoft.verge_user_m4cy2c5f:congrats this is the rabbit r1 but for middle managers instead of teenage engineering gadgetheadsGet the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.
Dominic Preston
Microsoft has a vision for its future AI hardware concepts, including an AI ID badge. It doesn’t feel entirely new, but it does feel very Microsoft.
verge_user_m4cy2c5f:
congrats this is the rabbit r1 but for middle managers instead of teenage engineering gadgetheads
congrats this is the rabbit r1 but for middle managers instead of teenage engineering gadgetheads
Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.
Jun 2Emma RothMicrosoft Build 2026: The 7 biggest announcementsScreenshot: The VergeMicrosoft just kicked off Build 2026 with a keynote from CEO Satya Nadella and other company leaders. As expected, it was filled with announcements, ranging from new Surface hardware to an always-on personal assistant and updates across Microsoft’s in-house AI models.If you didn’t watch the event live, you can catch up on all the latest news in the roundup below.Read Article >
Emma Roth
Microsoft Build 2026: The 7 biggest announcements
Microsoft just kicked off Build 2026 with a keynote from CEO Satya Nadella and other company leaders. As expected, it was filled with announcements, ranging from new Surface hardware to an always-on personal assistant and updates across Microsoft’s in-house AI models.
If you didn’t watch the event live, you can catch up on all the latest news in the roundup below.
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft’s next-gen quantum chip cuts timeline to useful quantum computingMicrosoft’s new Majorana 2 quantum chip. Image: MicrosoftMicrosoft claimed last year that it had made a key breakthrough in quantum computing with Majorana 1, the company’s first quantum processor. While physicists were immediately skeptical of Microsoft’s claims, the software giant is announcing Majorana 2 today, the next generation of its topological quantum chip.Majorana 2 contains qubits, a unit of information in quantum computing much like the binary bits that computers use today, that are 1,000 times more reliable, according to Microsoft. It’s a milestone that helps make quantum computing more reliable, thanks to the use of a new material stack and some help from Microsoft Discovery’s agentic AI.Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft’s next-gen quantum chip cuts timeline to useful quantum computing
Microsoft claimed last year that it had made a key breakthrough in quantum computing with Majorana 1, the company’s first quantum processor. While physicists were immediately skeptical of Microsoft’s claims, the software giant is announcing Majorana 2 today, the next generation of its topological quantum chip.
Majorana 2 contains qubits, a unit of information in quantum computing much like the binary bits that computers use today, that are 1,000 times more reliable, according to Microsoft. It’s a milestone that helps make quantum computing more reliable, thanks to the use of a new material stack and some help from Microsoft Discovery’s agentic AI.
Jun 2Jay PetersMicrosoft’s first advanced reasoning AI is hereImage: Cath Virginia / The VergeMicrosoft announced a bunch of new in-house AI models at Build 2026, including a new “flagship” model: MAI-Thinking-1. It’s an ambitious step into model development for Microsoft, which introduced its initial in-house models last year — before then, it had relied on OpenAI’s models. The two companies recently renegotiated their deal to loosen ties.According to Microsoft, MAI-Thinking-1 is a “medium-sized model” that “matches leading models” on “key” software engineering benchmarks. Microsoft says the company “trained it from the ground up on clean data, without distillation from third-party models.”Read Article >
Jay Peters
Microsoft’s first advanced reasoning AI is here
Microsoft announced a bunch of new in-house AI models at Build 2026, including a new “flagship” model: MAI-Thinking-1. It’s an ambitious step into model development for Microsoft, which introduced its initial in-house models last year — before then, it had relied on OpenAI’s models. The two companies recently renegotiated their deal to loosen ties.
According to Microsoft, MAI-Thinking-1 is a “medium-sized model” that “matches leading models” on “key” software engineering benchmarks. Microsoft says the company “trained it from the ground up on clean data, without distillation from third-party models.”
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft Scout is a new AI personal assistant built on OpenClawImage: MicrosoftMuch like Google, Microsoft is launching its own version of OpenClaw. Microsoft Scout is an always-on assistant that integrates into Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams, allowing businesses to assign a virtual assistant to employees to help with organizing calendars, expense reporting, email drafts, and much more.Unlike Copilot that lives inside Microsoft 365 apps, Microsoft Scout can see and do a lot more. “This is a personal assistant, it’s the first real personal assistant we’ve offered customers,” explains Omar Shahine, corporate vice president of Microsoft Scout, in an interview with The Verge. “I think it’s important for customers to understand that you’re going to get a phone call from this assistant, it’s a very different type of AI than chat.”Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft Scout is a new AI personal assistant built on OpenClaw
Much like Google, Microsoft is launching its own version of OpenClaw. Microsoft Scout is an always-on assistant that integrates into Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams, allowing businesses to assign a virtual assistant to employees to help with organizing calendars, expense reporting, email drafts, and much more.
Unlike Copilot that lives inside Microsoft 365 apps, Microsoft Scout can see and do a lot more. “This is a personal assistant, it’s the first real personal assistant we’ve offered customers,” explains Omar Shahine, corporate vice president of Microsoft Scout, in an interview with The Verge. “I think it’s important for customers to understand that you’re going to get a phone call from this assistant, it’s a very different type of AI than chat.”
Jun 2Stevie BonifieldMicrosoft launches its Command Line blog during Build 2026.Microsoft’s new publication has a familiar name and is aimed at developers, kicking off with information about the launch of Project Solara, its agentic AI hardware-focused platform.Introducing Command Line, and the new rules for builders[Command Line]
Stevie Bonifield
Microsoft’s new publication has a familiar name and is aimed at developers, kicking off with information about the launch of Project Solara, its agentic AI hardware-focused platform.
[Command Line]
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft makes it more secure to run OpenClaw on Windows.At its Build developer conference, Microsoft is launching Microsoft Execution Containers, a policy-driven layer to make it more secure to run things like OpenClaw on Windows. It’s going a step further too, by allowing a companion app for OpenClaw to run contained on Windows PCs. It should stop AI agents like OpenClaw from deleting all your files. “You can totally run OpenClaw inside your company now,” says OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger.OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger at Microsoft Build. Image: Microsoft
Tom Warren
At its Build developer conference, Microsoft is launching Microsoft Execution Containers, a policy-driven layer to make it more secure to run things like OpenClaw on Windows. It’s going a step further too, by allowing a companion app for OpenClaw to run contained on Windows PCs. It should stop AI agents like OpenClaw from deleting all your files. “You can totally run OpenClaw inside your company now,” says OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger.
Jun 2Jay Peters and Tom WarrenMicrosoft’s Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgetsImage; MicrosoftMicrosoft just announced “Project Solara,” a new OS designed for gadgets that run AI agents, at Build 2026. The company is calling it “a new platform built from the ground up to power agent-driven experiences.” It’s built on Android, not Windows.Microsoft demonstrated two concept Project Solara devices at Build today: Desk concept and badge concept. The desk concept is an Amazon Echo Show-like device that unlocks with facial recognition and provides access to AI agents.Read Article >
Jay Peters and Tom Warren
Microsoft’s Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgets
Microsoft just announced “Project Solara,” a new OS designed for gadgets that run AI agents, at Build 2026. The company is calling it “a new platform built from the ground up to power agent-driven experiences.” It’s built on Android, not Windows.
Microsoft demonstrated two concept Project Solara devices at Build today: Desk concept and badge concept. The desk concept is an Amazon Echo Show-like device that unlocks with facial recognition and provides access to AI agents.
Jun 2Richard LawlerMicrosoft’s AI agent OS: Project Solara.Microsoft just introduced a couple of concept gadgets at Build 2026 that are powered by a new platform, Project Solara, which is made to run AI agents on devices taking the form of everything from smart speakers to security badges or earbuds.Microsoft’s Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgetsJay Peters and Tom WarrenJun 2
Richard Lawler
Microsoft just introduced a couple of concept gadgets at Build 2026 that are powered by a new platform, Project Solara, which is made to run AI agents on devices taking the form of everything from smart speakers to security badges or earbuds.
Microsoft’s Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgets
Jun 2Tom WarrenNvidia’s CEO dials into Build.Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is on stage at Microsoft Build this morning, albeit virtually. He says Nvidia started working with Microsoft on RTX Spark about three years ago, and it has led to the creation of the new Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box.
Tom Warren
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is on stage at Microsoft Build this morning, albeit virtually. He says Nvidia started working with Microsoft on RTX Spark about three years ago, and it has led to the creation of the new Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box.
Jun 2Tom WarrenThe new Surface mini PC is here.Microsoft just launched a new Surface Dev Box, and the company is already using the machine live on stage at Build. The top looks like the vent on an Xbox Series X, and inside there’s an Nvidia RTX Spark chip and 128GB of unified memory. Overall, I’d say it looks like a flattened Xbox Series X.The Surface RTX Spark Dev Box on stage at Build. Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge
Tom Warren
Microsoft just launched a new Surface Dev Box, and the company is already using the machine live on stage at Build. The top looks like the vent on an Xbox Series X, and inside there’s an Nvidia RTX Spark chip and 128GB of unified memory. Overall, I’d say it looks like a flattened Xbox Series X.
Jun 2Tom WarrenBuild kicks off with Windows.Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has started his Build developer keynote by focusing on Windows immediately. Microsoft is expanding Windows AI APIs to more PCs, through CPU, GPU, and NPU support. There are two new local AI Windows models too, Aion 1.0 Instruct and Aion 1.0 Plan.Satya Nadella at Build 2026. Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge
Tom Warren
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has started his Build developer keynote by focusing on Windows immediately. Microsoft is expanding Windows AI APIs to more PCs, through CPU, GPU, and NPU support. There are two new local AI Windows models too, Aion 1.0 Instruct and Aion 1.0 Plan.
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft’s new developer-optimized Windows embraces Linux even moreImage: MicrosoftMicrosoft is kicking off its Build developer conference today with a promise of making Windows a trusted platform for development. As the company continues to focus on performance and reliability fixes for Windows 11, it’s also creating a developer-optimized experience that bundles a lot of useful tools and apps and embraces Linux even further.“We have optimized the Windows 11 experience for developers, bringing frequently used command line utilities, a familiar comfort shell, faster setup experience, a built-in way to create and interact with Linux containers on Windows and a new experimental Intelligent Terminal,” explains Windows chief Pavan Davuluri.Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft’s new developer-optimized Windows embraces Linux even more
Microsoft is kicking off its Build developer conference today with a promise of making Windows a trusted platform for development. As the company continues to focus on performance and reliability fixes for Windows 11, it’s also creating a developer-optimized experience that bundles a lot of useful tools and apps and embraces Linux even further.
“We have optimized the Windows 11 experience for developers, bringing frequently used command line utilities, a familiar comfort shell, faster setup experience, a built-in way to create and interact with Linux containers on Windows and a new experimental Intelligent Terminal,” explains Windows chief Pavan Davuluri.
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft created the mini Surface dev box that Qualcomm couldn’tImage: MicrosoftMicrosoft only just announced a new Surface Laptop Ultra at the weekend, and it’s now revealing a miniature Surface PC aimed at developers. The new Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is powered by Nvidia’s new Arm-based RTX Spark chips, just like the Surface Laptop Ultra, and is optimized for sustained workloads and local AI tasks.The Surface RTX Spark Dev Box looks a little like the top of an Xbox Series X console, with an aluminum chassis that also doubles as a heatsink. It has a 100-watt thermal envelope, slightly more than the 45-watt-to-80-watt thermal envelopes for Nvidia’s RTX Spark laptops. This miniature Surface PC also has 128GB of unified memory, making it capable of running up to 120 billion parameter models locally.Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft created the mini Surface dev box that Qualcomm couldn’t
Microsoft only just announced a new Surface Laptop Ultra at the weekend, and it’s now revealing a miniature Surface PC aimed at developers. The new Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is powered by Nvidia’s new Arm-based RTX Spark chips, just like the Surface Laptop Ultra, and is optimized for sustained workloads and local AI tasks.
The Surface RTX Spark Dev Box looks a little like the top of an Xbox Series X console, with an aluminum chassis that also doubles as a heatsink. It has a 100-watt thermal envelope, slightly more than the 45-watt-to-80-watt thermal envelopes for Nvidia’s RTX Spark laptops. This miniature Surface PC also has 128GB of unified memory, making it capable of running up to 120 billion parameter models locally.
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft Build 2026 is about to begin.It’s nearly time for Microsoft’s annual developer event. The Build keynote kicks off at 9:30AM PT / 12:30PM ET / 5:30PM UK. I’m expecting we’ll hear a lot about new Microsoft AI models, Windows dev improvements, and a little surprise or two.The Build 2026 keynote hall. Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge
Tom Warren
It’s nearly time for Microsoft’s annual developer event. The Build keynote kicks off at 9:30AM PT / 12:30PM ET / 5:30PM UK. I’m expecting we’ll hear a lot about new Microsoft AI models, Windows dev improvements, and a little surprise or two.
Jun 2Jess WeatherbedHow to watch Microsoft’s Build 2026 conferenceBuild 2026 is looking to be another AI-heavy affair. Image: MicrosoftMicrosoft is kicking off its yearly Build developer conference in San Francisco today, sandwiched between the recent Google I/O and Apple’s upcoming WWDC event. While tickets to attend Build in person are sold out, the conference is being streamed for free online, with CEO Satya Nadella opening with a keynote at 12:30PM ET / 9:30AM PT.A cursory glance at the featured speakers and virtual sessions suggests that Build will predominantly focus on AI, which isn’t surprising given this is a developer event in 2026. The keynote description also says that Nadella and Microsoft leaders will be sharing “how Microsoft is creating new opportunity for developers across our platforms in this era of AI,” though specific details about the announcements have yet to emerge.Read Article >
Jess Weatherbed
How to watch Microsoft’s Build 2026 conference
Microsoft is kicking off its yearly Build developer conference in San Francisco today, sandwiched between the recent Google I/O and Apple’s upcoming WWDC event. While tickets to attend Build in person are sold out, the conference is being streamed for free online, with CEO Satya Nadella opening with a keynote at 12:30PM ET / 9:30AM PT.
A cursory glance at the featured speakers and virtual sessions suggests that Build will predominantly focus on AI, which isn’t surprising given this is a developer event in 2026. The keynote description also says that Nadella and Microsoft leaders will be sharing “how Microsoft is creating new opportunity for developers across our platforms in this era of AI,” though specific details about the announcements have yet to emerge.
Jun 1Tom WarrenMicrosoft to unveil new AI models and Windows improvements at BuildImage: MicrosoftMicrosoft is heading to San Francisco this week in a bid to win back developers at its Build conference. I’ve been attending Build since the days when Microsoft called it the Professional Developers Conference, and I can’t remember a more pivotal moment. As Microsoft continues to reshuffle its entire business around AI, it’s moving Build into a smaller, more intimate venue. Trust in Windows and GitHub is at an all-time low, and this is Microsoft’s chance to reconnect with developers and outline the future.Sources tell me that we’ll hear about new AI models in Windows, a new reasoning model from Microsoft AI, and a Copilot “super app.” But perhaps more importantly for Build attendees, I understand that Microsoft will be revealing more about its work on improving the experience of Windows for developers. I’m told that Microsoft will unveil a new Windows 11 developer optimized experience this week, which includes many of the things that developers have been asking for in Windows: a distraction-free environment with preinstalled apps, tools, and scripts.Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft to unveil new AI models and Windows improvements at Build
Microsoft is heading to San Francisco this week in a bid to win back developers at its Build conference. I’ve been attending Build since the days when Microsoft called it the Professional Developers Conference, and I can’t remember a more pivotal moment. As Microsoft continues to reshuffle its entire business around AI, it’s moving Build into a smaller, more intimate venue. Trust in Windows and GitHub is at an all-time low, and this is Microsoft’s chance to reconnect with developers and outline the future.
Sources tell me that we’ll hear about new AI models in Windows, a new reasoning model from Microsoft AI, and a Copilot “super app.” But perhaps more importantly for Build attendees, I understand that Microsoft will be revealing more about its work on improving the experience of Windows for developers. I’m told that Microsoft will unveil a new Windows 11 developer optimized experience this week, which includes many of the things that developers have been asking for in Windows: a distraction-free environment with preinstalled apps, tools, and scripts.
Mar 3Tom WarrenMicrosoft’s big developer conference returns to San Francisco in JuneImage: MicrosoftMicrosoft is moving its annual Build developer conference from Seattle back to San Francisco and making some changes along the way. This year, the event will be held at Fort Mason, the former US Army post located in the San Francisco Bay Area, instead of the bustling downtown of Seattle. Microsoft is moving Build to this location to capture the AI buzz of San Francisco and to make the event more intimate.“There are great conferences that are enormous, and part of it is just the sprawl and scale of it, and there are great conferences that are tiny that are really a personalized experience,” says Kyle Daigle, chief operating officer at GitHub, in an interview with The Verge. “I think we’re trying to fit in the middle of it where meeting with people that attend is just as much a part of the actual conference content, announcements, and using the tech.”Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft’s big developer conference returns to San Francisco in June
Microsoft is moving its annual Build developer conference from Seattle back to San Francisco and making some changes along the way. This year, the event will be held at Fort Mason, the former US Army post located in the San Francisco Bay Area, instead of the bustling downtown of Seattle. Microsoft is moving Build to this location to capture the AI buzz of San Francisco and to make the event more intimate.
“There are great conferences that are enormous, and part of it is just the sprawl and scale of it, and there are great conferences that are tiny that are really a personalized experience,” says Kyle Daigle, chief operating officer at GitHub, in an interview with The Verge. “I think we’re trying to fit in the middle of it where meeting with people that attend is just as much a part of the actual conference content, announcements, and using the tech.”
Microsoft and OpenAI broke up — now they’re ready to fight
A first look at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface Dev Box
Microsoft Build 2026: The 7 biggest announcements
Microsoft’s next-gen quantum chip cuts timeline to useful quantum computing
Microsoft’s first advanced reasoning AI is here
Microsoft Scout is a new AI personal assistant built on OpenClaw
Microsoft’s Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgets
Microsoft’s new developer-optimized Windows embraces Linux even more
Microsoft created the mini Surface dev box that Qualcomm couldn’t
How to watch Microsoft’s Build 2026 conference
Jun 9Nick StattMicrosoft swears its OpenAI breakup isn’t a messy divorce.Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman came on Decoder this week to talk about the path to superintelligence and the company’s ever-evolving relationship with OpenAI. When asked whether Microsoft was using Build to flex its independence from OpenAI like a “freshly single divorcée,” Suleyman had this to say:Definitely not. No, not at all. Look, I mean, obviously that’s a cool headline and a fun phrase. But the reality is that we are in partnership with OpenAI for years and years to come… So naturally, that’s going to continue. And so I think that’s just a natural course of these sorts of partnerships.I don’t think it’s anything untoward or surprising. I think OpenAI is very understanding and supportive of that. I mean, they’ve obviously been an incredibly fast-growing company, and they understand that we have to pursue our own agenda as well.
Nick Statt
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman came on Decoder this week to talk about the path to superintelligence and the company’s ever-evolving relationship with OpenAI. When asked whether Microsoft was using Build to flex its independence from OpenAI like a “freshly single divorcée,” Suleyman had this to say:
Definitely not. No, not at all. Look, I mean, obviously that’s a cool headline and a fun phrase. But the reality is that we are in partnership with OpenAI for years and years to come… So naturally, that’s going to continue. And so I think that’s just a natural course of these sorts of partnerships.I don’t think it’s anything untoward or surprising. I think OpenAI is very understanding and supportive of that. I mean, they’ve obviously been an incredibly fast-growing company, and they understand that we have to pursue our own agenda as well.
Definitely not. No, not at all. Look, I mean, obviously that’s a cool headline and a fun phrase. But the reality is that we are in partnership with OpenAI for years and years to come… So naturally, that’s going to continue. And so I think that’s just a natural course of these sorts of partnerships.
I don’t think it’s anything untoward or surprising. I think OpenAI is very understanding and supportive of that. I mean, they’ve obviously been an incredibly fast-growing company, and they understand that we have to pursue our own agenda as well.
Jun 4Tom WarrenWindows is back on the Microsoft menuImage: The VergeI can’t remember the last time Microsoft kicked off a Build keynote with Windows front and center, but that’s exactly what CEO Satya Nadella did this week. Nadella didn’t address the issues Microsoft is trying to fix in Windows 11 but chose to woo the audience with Microsoft’s slick Surface RTX Spark Dev Kit instead, calling it a “dream machine.”Nadella unveiled the new Surface hardware just days after Nvidia officially returned to Windows on Arm with its new RTX Spark chips. Both companies are talking up these chips as some kind of new beginning for PCs, and it’s clear that RTX Spark will drive local AI workloads in a way that Microsoft’s previous Copilot Plus PCs haven’t yet managed.Read Article >
Tom Warren
Windows is back on the Microsoft menu
I can’t remember the last time Microsoft kicked off a Build keynote with Windows front and center, but that’s exactly what CEO Satya Nadella did this week. Nadella didn’t address the issues Microsoft is trying to fix in Windows 11 but chose to woo the audience with Microsoft’s slick Surface RTX Spark Dev Kit instead, calling it a “dream machine.”
Nadella unveiled the new Surface hardware just days after Nvidia officially returned to Windows on Arm with its new RTX Spark chips. Both companies are talking up these chips as some kind of new beginning for PCs, and it’s clear that RTX Spark will drive local AI workloads in a way that Microsoft’s previous Copilot Plus PCs haven’t yet managed.
Jun 3Sean HollisterNvidia is already planning N2X and N3X chips — the goal is the Star Trek computerJensen Huang, chief executive officer of Nvidia Corp. Bloomberg via Getty ImagesJust in case you were wondering, Nvidia’s RTX Spark isn’t supposed to be a one-off. The company is not just flirting with becoming the fifth high-profile vendor of consumer laptop chips to see if people bite. At Computex 2026 in Taipei, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang confirmed at least two additional generations of RTX Spark are already planned. The eventual goal, he said, is to build Star Trek-like computers and and Star Wars-like droids you can order around with your voice.“I want to talk to my laptop! I want R2-D2!” he told analysts and investors at Computex, revealing that he started working with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella “about three years ago” to build toward that goal.Read Article >
Sean Hollister
Nvidia is already planning N2X and N3X chips — the goal is the Star Trek computer
Just in case you were wondering, Nvidia’s RTX Spark isn’t supposed to be a one-off. The company is not just flirting with becoming the fifth high-profile vendor of consumer laptop chips to see if people bite. At Computex 2026 in Taipei, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang confirmed at least two additional generations of RTX Spark are already planned. The eventual goal, he said, is to build Star Trek-like computers and and Star Wars-like droids you can order around with your voice.
“I want to talk to my laptop! I want R2-D2!” he told analysts and investors at Computex, revealing that he started working with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella “about three years ago” to build toward that goal.
Jun 3Hayden Field and Tom WarrenMicrosoft and OpenAI broke up — now they’re ready to fightImage: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty ImagesAt Microsoft’s annual Build conference on Tuesday, the company announced a slew of new or expanded AI initiatives, including a super app, in-house reasoning models, a cybersecurity tool, and OpenClaw-esque AI agents. All this news added up to a clear message: Microsoft is positioned to be one of the biggest players in AI, and it’s finally acting like it.For years, Microsoft’s AI business leaned hard on its early and exclusive partnership with OpenAI. But the drama-filled marriage slowly devolved into a situationship, and the pair effectively separated in late April (though Microsoft is still OpenAI’s primary cloud partner — for now). This year’s Build had the vibe of a freshly single divorcée posting a thirst trap on Instagram. “It’s always fun to be at developer conferences in times of great change,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said onstage Tuesday, adding that events like this are about “coming to grips with the new opportunity.”Read Article >
Hayden Field and Tom Warren
Microsoft and OpenAI broke up — now they’re ready to fight
At Microsoft’s annual Build conference on Tuesday, the company announced a slew of new or expanded AI initiatives, including a super app, in-house reasoning models, a cybersecurity tool, and OpenClaw-esque AI agents. All this news added up to a clear message: Microsoft is positioned to be one of the biggest players in AI, and it’s finally acting like it.
For years, Microsoft’s AI business leaned hard on its early and exclusive partnership with OpenAI. But the drama-filled marriage slowly devolved into a situationship, and the pair effectively separated in late April (though Microsoft is still OpenAI’s primary cloud partner — for now). This year’s Build had the vibe of a freshly single divorcée posting a thirst trap on Instagram. “It’s always fun to be at developer conferences in times of great change,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said onstage Tuesday, adding that events like this are about “coming to grips with the new opportunity.”
Jun 3Tom WarrenA first look at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface Dev BoxThe Surface Laptop Ultra.Microsoft has two new Surface devices arriving later this year, both powered by Nvidia’s RTX Spark chips. I got a chance to take a closer look at both the Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box at Microsoft’s Build conference this week, and while both have the same chip inside, they’re utilizing Nvidia’s RTX Spark in different ways.The Surface Laptop Ultra looks and feels very much like a 16-inch MacBook Pro. There are no transforming hinges, detachable displays, or any other tricks — this is a clamshell laptop built with performance in mind. Microsoft has opted for a 15-inch mini LED panel, which operates at up to 2,000 nits of HDR brightness. I got to see that peak HDR level in a dark room, and I can confirm it’s a very, very bright display. In fact, it’s the brightest display Microsoft has ever put on a Surface device.Read Article >
Tom Warren
A first look at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface Dev Box
Microsoft has two new Surface devices arriving later this year, both powered by Nvidia’s RTX Spark chips. I got a chance to take a closer look at both the Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box at Microsoft’s Build conference this week, and while both have the same chip inside, they’re utilizing Nvidia’s RTX Spark in different ways.
The Surface Laptop Ultra looks and feels very much like a 16-inch MacBook Pro. There are no transforming hinges, detachable displays, or any other tricks — this is a clamshell laptop built with performance in mind. Microsoft has opted for a 15-inch mini LED panel, which operates at up to 2,000 nits of HDR brightness. I got to see that peak HDR level in a dark room, and I can confirm it’s a very, very bright display. In fact, it’s the brightest display Microsoft has ever put on a Surface device.
Jun 3Dominic PrestonKnow your audience, I guess.Microsoft has a vision for its future AI hardware concepts, including an AI ID badge. It doesn’t feel entirely new, but it does feel very Microsoft.verge_user_m4cy2c5f:congrats this is the rabbit r1 but for middle managers instead of teenage engineering gadgetheadsGet the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.
Dominic Preston
Microsoft has a vision for its future AI hardware concepts, including an AI ID badge. It doesn’t feel entirely new, but it does feel very Microsoft.
verge_user_m4cy2c5f:
congrats this is the rabbit r1 but for middle managers instead of teenage engineering gadgetheads
congrats this is the rabbit r1 but for middle managers instead of teenage engineering gadgetheads
Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.
Jun 2Emma RothMicrosoft Build 2026: The 7 biggest announcementsScreenshot: The VergeMicrosoft just kicked off Build 2026 with a keynote from CEO Satya Nadella and other company leaders. As expected, it was filled with announcements, ranging from new Surface hardware to an always-on personal assistant and updates across Microsoft’s in-house AI models.If you didn’t watch the event live, you can catch up on all the latest news in the roundup below.Read Article >
Emma Roth
Microsoft Build 2026: The 7 biggest announcements
Microsoft just kicked off Build 2026 with a keynote from CEO Satya Nadella and other company leaders. As expected, it was filled with announcements, ranging from new Surface hardware to an always-on personal assistant and updates across Microsoft’s in-house AI models.
If you didn’t watch the event live, you can catch up on all the latest news in the roundup below.
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft’s next-gen quantum chip cuts timeline to useful quantum computingMicrosoft’s new Majorana 2 quantum chip. Image: MicrosoftMicrosoft claimed last year that it had made a key breakthrough in quantum computing with Majorana 1, the company’s first quantum processor. While physicists were immediately skeptical of Microsoft’s claims, the software giant is announcing Majorana 2 today, the next generation of its topological quantum chip.Majorana 2 contains qubits, a unit of information in quantum computing much like the binary bits that computers use today, that are 1,000 times more reliable, according to Microsoft. It’s a milestone that helps make quantum computing more reliable, thanks to the use of a new material stack and some help from Microsoft Discovery’s agentic AI.Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft’s next-gen quantum chip cuts timeline to useful quantum computing
Microsoft claimed last year that it had made a key breakthrough in quantum computing with Majorana 1, the company’s first quantum processor. While physicists were immediately skeptical of Microsoft’s claims, the software giant is announcing Majorana 2 today, the next generation of its topological quantum chip.
Majorana 2 contains qubits, a unit of information in quantum computing much like the binary bits that computers use today, that are 1,000 times more reliable, according to Microsoft. It’s a milestone that helps make quantum computing more reliable, thanks to the use of a new material stack and some help from Microsoft Discovery’s agentic AI.
Jun 2Jay PetersMicrosoft’s first advanced reasoning AI is hereImage: Cath Virginia / The VergeMicrosoft announced a bunch of new in-house AI models at Build 2026, including a new “flagship” model: MAI-Thinking-1. It’s an ambitious step into model development for Microsoft, which introduced its initial in-house models last year — before then, it had relied on OpenAI’s models. The two companies recently renegotiated their deal to loosen ties.According to Microsoft, MAI-Thinking-1 is a “medium-sized model” that “matches leading models” on “key” software engineering benchmarks. Microsoft says the company “trained it from the ground up on clean data, without distillation from third-party models.”Read Article >
Jay Peters
Microsoft’s first advanced reasoning AI is here
Microsoft announced a bunch of new in-house AI models at Build 2026, including a new “flagship” model: MAI-Thinking-1. It’s an ambitious step into model development for Microsoft, which introduced its initial in-house models last year — before then, it had relied on OpenAI’s models. The two companies recently renegotiated their deal to loosen ties.
According to Microsoft, MAI-Thinking-1 is a “medium-sized model” that “matches leading models” on “key” software engineering benchmarks. Microsoft says the company “trained it from the ground up on clean data, without distillation from third-party models.”
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft Scout is a new AI personal assistant built on OpenClawImage: MicrosoftMuch like Google, Microsoft is launching its own version of OpenClaw. Microsoft Scout is an always-on assistant that integrates into Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams, allowing businesses to assign a virtual assistant to employees to help with organizing calendars, expense reporting, email drafts, and much more.Unlike Copilot that lives inside Microsoft 365 apps, Microsoft Scout can see and do a lot more. “This is a personal assistant, it’s the first real personal assistant we’ve offered customers,” explains Omar Shahine, corporate vice president of Microsoft Scout, in an interview with The Verge. “I think it’s important for customers to understand that you’re going to get a phone call from this assistant, it’s a very different type of AI than chat.”Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft Scout is a new AI personal assistant built on OpenClaw
Much like Google, Microsoft is launching its own version of OpenClaw. Microsoft Scout is an always-on assistant that integrates into Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams, allowing businesses to assign a virtual assistant to employees to help with organizing calendars, expense reporting, email drafts, and much more.
Unlike Copilot that lives inside Microsoft 365 apps, Microsoft Scout can see and do a lot more. “This is a personal assistant, it’s the first real personal assistant we’ve offered customers,” explains Omar Shahine, corporate vice president of Microsoft Scout, in an interview with The Verge. “I think it’s important for customers to understand that you’re going to get a phone call from this assistant, it’s a very different type of AI than chat.”
Jun 2Stevie BonifieldMicrosoft launches its Command Line blog during Build 2026.Microsoft’s new publication has a familiar name and is aimed at developers, kicking off with information about the launch of Project Solara, its agentic AI hardware-focused platform.Introducing Command Line, and the new rules for builders[Command Line]
Stevie Bonifield
Microsoft’s new publication has a familiar name and is aimed at developers, kicking off with information about the launch of Project Solara, its agentic AI hardware-focused platform.
[Command Line]
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft makes it more secure to run OpenClaw on Windows.At its Build developer conference, Microsoft is launching Microsoft Execution Containers, a policy-driven layer to make it more secure to run things like OpenClaw on Windows. It’s going a step further too, by allowing a companion app for OpenClaw to run contained on Windows PCs. It should stop AI agents like OpenClaw from deleting all your files. “You can totally run OpenClaw inside your company now,” says OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger.OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger at Microsoft Build. Image: Microsoft
Tom Warren
At its Build developer conference, Microsoft is launching Microsoft Execution Containers, a policy-driven layer to make it more secure to run things like OpenClaw on Windows. It’s going a step further too, by allowing a companion app for OpenClaw to run contained on Windows PCs. It should stop AI agents like OpenClaw from deleting all your files. “You can totally run OpenClaw inside your company now,” says OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger.
Jun 2Jay Peters and Tom WarrenMicrosoft’s Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgetsImage; MicrosoftMicrosoft just announced “Project Solara,” a new OS designed for gadgets that run AI agents, at Build 2026. The company is calling it “a new platform built from the ground up to power agent-driven experiences.” It’s built on Android, not Windows.Microsoft demonstrated two concept Project Solara devices at Build today: Desk concept and badge concept. The desk concept is an Amazon Echo Show-like device that unlocks with facial recognition and provides access to AI agents.Read Article >
Jay Peters and Tom Warren
Microsoft’s Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgets
Microsoft just announced “Project Solara,” a new OS designed for gadgets that run AI agents, at Build 2026. The company is calling it “a new platform built from the ground up to power agent-driven experiences.” It’s built on Android, not Windows.
Microsoft demonstrated two concept Project Solara devices at Build today: Desk concept and badge concept. The desk concept is an Amazon Echo Show-like device that unlocks with facial recognition and provides access to AI agents.
Jun 2Richard LawlerMicrosoft’s AI agent OS: Project Solara.Microsoft just introduced a couple of concept gadgets at Build 2026 that are powered by a new platform, Project Solara, which is made to run AI agents on devices taking the form of everything from smart speakers to security badges or earbuds.Microsoft’s Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgetsJay Peters and Tom WarrenJun 2
Richard Lawler
Microsoft just introduced a couple of concept gadgets at Build 2026 that are powered by a new platform, Project Solara, which is made to run AI agents on devices taking the form of everything from smart speakers to security badges or earbuds.
Microsoft’s Project Solara is an OS for AI agent gadgets
Jun 2Tom WarrenNvidia’s CEO dials into Build.Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is on stage at Microsoft Build this morning, albeit virtually. He says Nvidia started working with Microsoft on RTX Spark about three years ago, and it has led to the creation of the new Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box.
Tom Warren
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is on stage at Microsoft Build this morning, albeit virtually. He says Nvidia started working with Microsoft on RTX Spark about three years ago, and it has led to the creation of the new Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box.
Jun 2Tom WarrenThe new Surface mini PC is here.Microsoft just launched a new Surface Dev Box, and the company is already using the machine live on stage at Build. The top looks like the vent on an Xbox Series X, and inside there’s an Nvidia RTX Spark chip and 128GB of unified memory. Overall, I’d say it looks like a flattened Xbox Series X.The Surface RTX Spark Dev Box on stage at Build. Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge
Tom Warren
Microsoft just launched a new Surface Dev Box, and the company is already using the machine live on stage at Build. The top looks like the vent on an Xbox Series X, and inside there’s an Nvidia RTX Spark chip and 128GB of unified memory. Overall, I’d say it looks like a flattened Xbox Series X.
Jun 2Tom WarrenBuild kicks off with Windows.Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has started his Build developer keynote by focusing on Windows immediately. Microsoft is expanding Windows AI APIs to more PCs, through CPU, GPU, and NPU support. There are two new local AI Windows models too, Aion 1.0 Instruct and Aion 1.0 Plan.Satya Nadella at Build 2026. Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge
Tom Warren
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has started his Build developer keynote by focusing on Windows immediately. Microsoft is expanding Windows AI APIs to more PCs, through CPU, GPU, and NPU support. There are two new local AI Windows models too, Aion 1.0 Instruct and Aion 1.0 Plan.
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft’s new developer-optimized Windows embraces Linux even moreImage: MicrosoftMicrosoft is kicking off its Build developer conference today with a promise of making Windows a trusted platform for development. As the company continues to focus on performance and reliability fixes for Windows 11, it’s also creating a developer-optimized experience that bundles a lot of useful tools and apps and embraces Linux even further.“We have optimized the Windows 11 experience for developers, bringing frequently used command line utilities, a familiar comfort shell, faster setup experience, a built-in way to create and interact with Linux containers on Windows and a new experimental Intelligent Terminal,” explains Windows chief Pavan Davuluri.Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft’s new developer-optimized Windows embraces Linux even more
Microsoft is kicking off its Build developer conference today with a promise of making Windows a trusted platform for development. As the company continues to focus on performance and reliability fixes for Windows 11, it’s also creating a developer-optimized experience that bundles a lot of useful tools and apps and embraces Linux even further.
“We have optimized the Windows 11 experience for developers, bringing frequently used command line utilities, a familiar comfort shell, faster setup experience, a built-in way to create and interact with Linux containers on Windows and a new experimental Intelligent Terminal,” explains Windows chief Pavan Davuluri.
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft created the mini Surface dev box that Qualcomm couldn’tImage: MicrosoftMicrosoft only just announced a new Surface Laptop Ultra at the weekend, and it’s now revealing a miniature Surface PC aimed at developers. The new Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is powered by Nvidia’s new Arm-based RTX Spark chips, just like the Surface Laptop Ultra, and is optimized for sustained workloads and local AI tasks.The Surface RTX Spark Dev Box looks a little like the top of an Xbox Series X console, with an aluminum chassis that also doubles as a heatsink. It has a 100-watt thermal envelope, slightly more than the 45-watt-to-80-watt thermal envelopes for Nvidia’s RTX Spark laptops. This miniature Surface PC also has 128GB of unified memory, making it capable of running up to 120 billion parameter models locally.Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft created the mini Surface dev box that Qualcomm couldn’t
Microsoft only just announced a new Surface Laptop Ultra at the weekend, and it’s now revealing a miniature Surface PC aimed at developers. The new Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is powered by Nvidia’s new Arm-based RTX Spark chips, just like the Surface Laptop Ultra, and is optimized for sustained workloads and local AI tasks.
The Surface RTX Spark Dev Box looks a little like the top of an Xbox Series X console, with an aluminum chassis that also doubles as a heatsink. It has a 100-watt thermal envelope, slightly more than the 45-watt-to-80-watt thermal envelopes for Nvidia’s RTX Spark laptops. This miniature Surface PC also has 128GB of unified memory, making it capable of running up to 120 billion parameter models locally.
Jun 2Tom WarrenMicrosoft Build 2026 is about to begin.It’s nearly time for Microsoft’s annual developer event. The Build keynote kicks off at 9:30AM PT / 12:30PM ET / 5:30PM UK. I’m expecting we’ll hear a lot about new Microsoft AI models, Windows dev improvements, and a little surprise or two.The Build 2026 keynote hall. Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge
Tom Warren
It’s nearly time for Microsoft’s annual developer event. The Build keynote kicks off at 9:30AM PT / 12:30PM ET / 5:30PM UK. I’m expecting we’ll hear a lot about new Microsoft AI models, Windows dev improvements, and a little surprise or two.
Jun 2Jess WeatherbedHow to watch Microsoft’s Build 2026 conferenceBuild 2026 is looking to be another AI-heavy affair. Image: MicrosoftMicrosoft is kicking off its yearly Build developer conference in San Francisco today, sandwiched between the recent Google I/O and Apple’s upcoming WWDC event. While tickets to attend Build in person are sold out, the conference is being streamed for free online, with CEO Satya Nadella opening with a keynote at 12:30PM ET / 9:30AM PT.A cursory glance at the featured speakers and virtual sessions suggests that Build will predominantly focus on AI, which isn’t surprising given this is a developer event in 2026. The keynote description also says that Nadella and Microsoft leaders will be sharing “how Microsoft is creating new opportunity for developers across our platforms in this era of AI,” though specific details about the announcements have yet to emerge.Read Article >
Jess Weatherbed
How to watch Microsoft’s Build 2026 conference
Microsoft is kicking off its yearly Build developer conference in San Francisco today, sandwiched between the recent Google I/O and Apple’s upcoming WWDC event. While tickets to attend Build in person are sold out, the conference is being streamed for free online, with CEO Satya Nadella opening with a keynote at 12:30PM ET / 9:30AM PT.
A cursory glance at the featured speakers and virtual sessions suggests that Build will predominantly focus on AI, which isn’t surprising given this is a developer event in 2026. The keynote description also says that Nadella and Microsoft leaders will be sharing “how Microsoft is creating new opportunity for developers across our platforms in this era of AI,” though specific details about the announcements have yet to emerge.
Jun 1Tom WarrenMicrosoft to unveil new AI models and Windows improvements at BuildImage: MicrosoftMicrosoft is heading to San Francisco this week in a bid to win back developers at its Build conference. I’ve been attending Build since the days when Microsoft called it the Professional Developers Conference, and I can’t remember a more pivotal moment. As Microsoft continues to reshuffle its entire business around AI, it’s moving Build into a smaller, more intimate venue. Trust in Windows and GitHub is at an all-time low, and this is Microsoft’s chance to reconnect with developers and outline the future.Sources tell me that we’ll hear about new AI models in Windows, a new reasoning model from Microsoft AI, and a Copilot “super app.” But perhaps more importantly for Build attendees, I understand that Microsoft will be revealing more about its work on improving the experience of Windows for developers. I’m told that Microsoft will unveil a new Windows 11 developer optimized experience this week, which includes many of the things that developers have been asking for in Windows: a distraction-free environment with preinstalled apps, tools, and scripts.Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft to unveil new AI models and Windows improvements at Build
Microsoft is heading to San Francisco this week in a bid to win back developers at its Build conference. I’ve been attending Build since the days when Microsoft called it the Professional Developers Conference, and I can’t remember a more pivotal moment. As Microsoft continues to reshuffle its entire business around AI, it’s moving Build into a smaller, more intimate venue. Trust in Windows and GitHub is at an all-time low, and this is Microsoft’s chance to reconnect with developers and outline the future.
Sources tell me that we’ll hear about new AI models in Windows, a new reasoning model from Microsoft AI, and a Copilot “super app.” But perhaps more importantly for Build attendees, I understand that Microsoft will be revealing more about its work on improving the experience of Windows for developers. I’m told that Microsoft will unveil a new Windows 11 developer optimized experience this week, which includes many of the things that developers have been asking for in Windows: a distraction-free environment with preinstalled apps, tools, and scripts.
Mar 3Tom WarrenMicrosoft’s big developer conference returns to San Francisco in JuneImage: MicrosoftMicrosoft is moving its annual Build developer conference from Seattle back to San Francisco and making some changes along the way. This year, the event will be held at Fort Mason, the former US Army post located in the San Francisco Bay Area, instead of the bustling downtown of Seattle. Microsoft is moving Build to this location to capture the AI buzz of San Francisco and to make the event more intimate.“There are great conferences that are enormous, and part of it is just the sprawl and scale of it, and there are great conferences that are tiny that are really a personalized experience,” says Kyle Daigle, chief operating officer at GitHub, in an interview with The Verge. “I think we’re trying to fit in the middle of it where meeting with people that attend is just as much a part of the actual conference content, announcements, and using the tech.”Read Article >
Tom Warren
Microsoft’s big developer conference returns to San Francisco in June
Microsoft is moving its annual Build developer conference from Seattle back to San Francisco and making some changes along the way. This year, the event will be held at Fort Mason, the former US Army post located in the San Francisco Bay Area, instead of the bustling downtown of Seattle. Microsoft is moving Build to this location to capture the AI buzz of San Francisco and to make the event more intimate.
“There are great conferences that are enormous, and part of it is just the sprawl and scale of it, and there are great conferences that are tiny that are really a personalized experience,” says Kyle Daigle, chief operating officer at GitHub, in an interview with The Verge. “I think we’re trying to fit in the middle of it where meeting with people that attend is just as much a part of the actual conference content, announcements, and using the tech.”