Build 2026: Microsoft unveils Project Solara platform for AI agent devices

Microsoft has unveiled Project Solara, a new Android-based platform designed for a future where AI agents, rather than traditional apps, become the primary way people interact with technology. The announcement came at the company's Build 2026 developer conference, where Microsoft also showcased concept devices built around the new platform. Unlike Windows, Project Solara is designed specifically for what Microsoft calls an "agent-first" world. The company says the platform is built to bring AI closer to users by creating devices that can understand requests, access information, and complete tasks across multiple services without requiring users to constantly switch between apps."This is not just about bringing intelligence to the PC, the browser, or the phone. It is about bringing intelligence into the places where people need it most: in the flow of work, in the environment, and closer to the task at hand," Microsoft said introducing the platform.According to Microsoft, Project Solara is based on a simple idea: the next major technology shift will move users away from opening apps and navigating menus toward simply asking AI agents to perform tasks."We are building this platform on a simple premise: The next platform shift is from apps to agents—from software you open to intelligence you invoke," the company said.Microsoft believes future devices will be built around AI agents that can work across applications, workflows and devices rather than operating inside individual apps. The company also stressed that the future will not be dominated by a single AI assistant. Instead, organizations will use multiple specialized agents, including their own custom-built ones. Project Solara uses Microsoft's Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP), an enterprise-focused operating system built on the Android Open Source Project. Microsoft says the platform includes enterprise features such as Intune device management, Entra ID sign-in, Microsoft Defender protections, biometric authentication through Windows Hello, and privacy controls like physical microphone mute buttons.The company says these features are designed to ensure security, privacy, identity protection and enterprise management remain at the core of the platform.One of the biggest changes with Project Solara is Microsoft's vision for new hardware categories. The company says future Solara devices will not run traditional applications. Instead, they will be built specifically for AI agents that can adapt their interface depending on screen size, voice input, touch controls or other interaction methods.Microsoft calls this approach "just-in-time UI," where an AI agent can dynamically adjust how information is presented without requiring developers to redesign experiences for every new device type.