Building on a Strategic Foundation

This week marked a critical milestone for Microsoft, as the back-to-back schedules of Computex and the Build conference allowed the company to unveil major hardware, including the Surface Laptop Ultra and the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box. More importantly, the event served as a platform to guide developers through the rapidly evolving landscape of the "age of AI agents."

Microsoft’s current focus on the agentic web is not a sudden shift; it is the culmination of a roadmap initiated at Build 2025. The company has dedicated the past year to transforming foundational concepts into practical, production-ready tools.

The Evolution of the Agentic Web

The core philosophy of the "age of AI agents" was introduced by Frank Shaw during last year’s recap, signaling that the groundwork was laid well in advance. Key highlights from the previous year included:

  • The introduction of the GitHub Copilot coding agent and Git enhancements.
  • The launch of Azure AI Foundry Models and specialized model evaluation tools.
  • Advancements in Microsoft 365 Copilot Tuning and sophisticated multi-agent orchestration.

Last year’s event emphasized open standards, with Microsoft integrating support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) across its ecosystem, including GitHub, Azure AI Foundry, and Windows 11. Additionally, the introduction of "NLWeb" provided a framework for the agentic web, serving a purpose similar to that of HTML in the early days of the internet.

Focusing on Trust and Context

At this year's conference, the messaging remained consistent, focusing on the practical needs of developers. Kyle Daigle, COO of GitHub, noted:

«Developers don't need another way to just build and run an agent or app. They need trust. They need native context and knowledge. Most of all, they need choice to access the right model for the right problem.»

To address these requirements, Microsoft has prioritized every level of the AI stack, providing a comprehensive platform for agent creation and optimization across Windows, the web, and the Microsoft 365 suite.

Introducing Microsoft IQ and 'Scout'

A major development this year is Microsoft IQ, a new context layer designed to ground AI agents in both global and enterprise-specific knowledge. By moving beyond generic data, this tool ensures that agents generate results relevant to specific organizational needs, such as internal documents or communications. The newly debuted Web IQ extends this capability by grounding agents in the most current web-based information.

Furthermore, Microsoft unveiled "Scout," a persistent personal work agent, alongside a new family of AI models. By providing these components, the company has effectively built a full pipeline—from initial agent development to end-user deployment. Build 2026 confirms that Microsoft is executing a long-term plan, with the ultimate test now resting on the developer community's ability to innovate within this established ecosystem.