Microsoft Announces New Tools and Devices at Build 2026

Microsoft announced a series of new workplace tools, hardware products and healthcare initiatives at its Build developer conference in San Francisco as competition in the artificial intelligence market heats up.

The company detailed a range of new products and projects, including software designed to handle routine tasks, a Nvidia-powered computer for developers, connected devices built around cloud services and a growing portfolio of in-house models. The announcements reflect Microsoft’s efforts to strengthen its position across multiple areas of the technology stack while reducing reliance on external partners.

New Tools and Devices

A central theme at Build was software designed to reduce the amount of manual work required from users. Microsoft introduced Scout, a new addition to Copilot that can identify emails, messages and requests requiring attention and gather the information needed to move tasks forward.

The company also expanded support for OpenClaw, an open-source platform that coordinates multiple software assistants to complete tasks. New controls are being developed to help businesses use the technology while protecting sensitive corporate information.

On the hardware side, Microsoft introduced the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, a Nvidia-powered machine aimed at developers working with large computing models. Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella described it as a “dream machine” for developers.

Among the projects discussed at the conference was Project Solara, a family of prototype devices powered by Qualcomm and MediaTek chips. Unlike smartphones or laptops that rely on traditional applications, the devices connect directly to cloud services to perform specific functions. One example demonstrated how healthcare workers could use the technology to automatically document patient visits and reduce administrative workloads.

Building More Technology In-House

Microsoft also used the conference to provide an update on its growing portfolio of proprietary models.The company announced MAI Thinking-1, its first reasoning-focused model, alongside new transcription and image-generation tools intended to compete with offerings from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. The developments reflect Microsoft’s efforts to build more of its own core technology. Although the company remains a major investor in OpenAI, it is increasingly investing in capabilities developed internally as competition across the sector continues to intensify.

One of the more significant announcements was a new partnership with the Mayo Clinic to develop healthcare-focused systems that combine Microsoft’s computing infrastructure with the clinic’s medical expertise and data. The collaboration is expected to support future diagnostic tools, clinical workflows and other healthcare applications.