Microsoft is set to take centre stage in San Francisco this week at its annual Build developer conference. The announcements are expected to further highlight the company's shift towards an AI-first strategy, as it continues reshaping much of its business around artificial intelligence.
According to a recent report by The Verge's Tom Warren, Microsoft is preparing to unveil new AI models for Windows, a new in-house reasoning model, and details about a Copilot "super app."
Beyond AI announcements, Microsoft is also expected to share updates on its efforts to improve the Windows experience for developers. The company may introduce a new developer-optimised Windows 11 experience featuring tools and capabilities that developers have been requesting for some time.
Microsoft is also expected to provide updates on how Windows is adapting to emerging AI-focused hardware platforms such as Nvidia's RTX Spark. Reports suggest the company will place a stronger emphasis on local AI models running directly on Windows devices, enabling developers to leverage on-device compute rather than relying solely on cloud-based models.
During the keynote, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is expected to discuss the future of AI alongside Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The company may also provide updates on its ongoing partnership with Qualcomm.
Microsoft's Own In-House Models
At Build 2026, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman is reportedly expected to unveil MAI-Thinking-1, the company's first in-house reasoning model. According to reports, Microsoft did not rely on model distillation techniques to build the reasoning model, meaning it was not trained by learning from the outputs of another AI model.
Microsoft is also expected to discuss its upcoming Copilot "super app," which aims to bring the company's various Copilot assistants together under a single interface.
A leaked screenshot that surfaced last week reportedly showed a mock-up prepared for Microsoft's Build demonstrations. The images also offered an early look at Microsoft Scout, an AI agent believed to be based on Microsoft's OpenClaw project.
While the Copilot super app is reportedly still under development and unlikely to launch during the event, Microsoft is widely expected to provide an update on its progress. The company may also unveil new GitHub enhancements and additional developer-focused AI tools throughout the conference.
Last year, Microsoft announced additions such as Copilot Create with AI, Microsoft 365 Copilot Tuning, Agents and Multi-Agent Workflows, the Microsoft 365 Copilot API, and GitHub Copilot updates. In 2025, the company focused heavily on turning its vision of an AI-native workplace into a reality. This year, however, the tech giant could be preparing to take that vision in a new direction.
