Build 2026 only makes sense if you remember Build 2025: a look back at the groundwork of the “age of AI agents”
Microsoft’s Build 2026 conference represented a significant moment for the technology industry, building directly on the foundation established at Build 2025. Rather than launching entirely new directions, Microsoft spent the twelve months between the two conferences transforming architectural concepts into production-ready developer tools and services focused on AI agents.
The conference coincided with Computex, creating a high-profile week where Microsoft unveiled new hardware alongside software initiatives. The company announced the Surface Laptop Ultra and Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, positioning these devices as tools designed for developers working on AI agent applications. The hardware announcements aligned with the conference’s central theme of moving toward the “age of AI agents.”
Microsoft’s strategic emphasis on AI agents reflects a shift in how the company views application development. Rather than positioning AI as an isolated feature, Microsoft is framing it as foundational to the next generation of user-facing applications. The term “age of AI agents” itself originated from Frank Shaw’s recap of Build 2025, indicating this vision has evolved over more than a year. Build 2026 demonstrated how Microsoft has translated that high-level vision into concrete developer tools and hardware specifically designed to support this architectural shift.