Microsoft Build will detail ‘next generation’ of Windows on Arm and new AI features

Microsoft’s annual developer conference, Microsoft Build, will focus heavily on Windows on Arm and new Windows AI features this year. The Verge revealed earlier this week that a special Surface and AI event a day before Microsoft Build will include a focus on beating Apple’s M3-powered MacBook Air with new Arm-powered Surface devices and a big new Windows AI feature. Now, Microsoft is all but confirming this.

Microsoft has listed out the developer sessions for Build today, including two that mention “the next generation of Windows on Arm” and “a brand-new Windows AI feature.” The next generation Windows on Arm session will include details on “industry-leading performance” for apps, likely a nod to Microsoft’s ambitions of beating Apple’s M3 chip on CPU performance and app emulation.

This same session will also include details on “new experiences for Arm-powered Windows this year, such as intelligent Windows apps that leverage rich capabilities of the NPU.” That is likely to include more Windows AI features, which are hinted at in another Build session. “We’re showcasing brand-new features that allow users deeper interaction with their digital lives on Windows through advance AI features,” says Microsoft in a Build session note.

That sounds a lot like the rumored AI Explorer feature coming to Windows 11, which is designed to work as a timeline you can summon on your PC. Microsoft describes this internally as a feature that lets you “retrieve anything you’ve ever seen or done on your device.”

Other Microsoft Build sessions include a focus on building Copilots and even plugins for the AI-powered assistant. Microsoft will also detail some additional developer experience improvements in Windows from the team that brought Windows Terminal, Dev Home, PowerToys, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux to life.