Microsoft kicks off Build conference with AI tools and agent focus
Microsoft opened Build in San Francisco with sold-out seats and a free livestream, putting AI agents and Windows-cloud integration at the center of its developer pitch.
Microsoft opened its annual Build developer conference in San Francisco with a clear message: the next phase of the platform race will be won by AI tools, developer services and agents that reach across cloud and Windows. The event ran June 2-3, 2026, at Fort Mason Center and online, with in-person tickets sold out but the keynote and live coverage available free on the web.
CEO Satya Nadella was set to open the conference at 9:30 a.m. PT on Tuesday, June 2, with Microsoft describing the keynote as a look at “AI-powered tools and platforms for developers and beyond.” The company said Nadella and other leaders would talk about “new opportunity for developers across our platforms in this era of AI,” a line that shows how Microsoft wants Build to define its place against Google and Apple as those companies gather developers around their own annual conferences.
Microsoft also changed how it delivers its announcements. Instead of the older Book of News format, Build 2026 moved to a real-time Microsoft Build Live blog, which the company said would provide context as news unfolded and serve as the new home for developer updates. That shift matters because it puts the live event itself, not a static roundup, at the center of Microsoft’s messaging.
The session lineup pointed even more directly to the company’s priorities. Microsoft’s catalog included hands-on technical sessions such as “Build a custom AI agent with open-weight models and OpenClaw” and “Build, deploy, and scale agents with Windows 365.” Those titles signal that Microsoft is not treating AI as a side theme. It is tying agents to infrastructure, cloud deployment and Windows integration, the areas that will show whether the company sees its next growth engine in enterprise AI, developer tooling or the operating system itself.
Build has become a much larger event than when Microsoft launched it in 2011. The first conference ran Sept. 13-16, 2011, in Anaheim, California. Build 2025 drew 200,000 registered participants and about 4,000 in-person attendees in Seattle, underscoring how far the conference has expanded even as this year’s San Francisco gathering felt more focused and more intimate. For Microsoft, the message from Fort Mason Center was less about spectacle than direction: developers are being asked to build for an AI-first Microsoft stack.
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