Microsoft Build 2026 | Opening Keynote

The shift toward an agent-first ecosystem defines the current technological frontier, where "unmetered intelligence" extends from local edge devices to massive cloud infrastructures. This transformation centers on the integration of autonomous agents that reason, plan, and execute tasks across diverse environments. Key innovations include the Surface RTX Spark for local agentic loops, the Microsoft IQ layer for grounding enterprise data, and the Microsoft Execution Containers (MXC) for secure, isolated agent deployment. Beyond productivity, this paradigm accelerates scientific discovery through automated loops, exemplified by advancements in protein research and quantum computing with Majorana 2. By moving from simple application-based software to autonomous, context-aware agents, organizations can compound tacit knowledge and achieve frontier-level performance through specialized "hill-climbing" machines, ultimately enabling a more programmable and efficient approach to complex problem-solving.