Microsoft Build 2025 begins tonight: Where to watch keynote, what to expect

Microsoft's AI assistant Copilot is expected to headline the Microsoft Build 2025 event, followed by developments in Windows 11

US-based technology giant Microsoft will hold its annual developer conference, Microsoft Build, from May 19 to 22 in Seattle, US. As per reports, the Microsoft Build 2025 is expected to be heavily focused on artificial intelligence (AI). According to Indian Express, Microsoft is expected to unveil new tools aimed at helping developers build and integrate AI systems.

Microsoft Build 2025: Where to watch keynote

The four-day conference will begin on May 19 at 8:45 am PT (9:15 pm IST) and will culminate on May 22.

 

Microsoft will also be live streaming the event, starting with the keynote address, on its YouTube channel for a global audience. You can also watch the keynote live through the video embedded towards the end of this article.

 

Microsoft Build 2025: What to expect

Copilot

 

Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant is expected to take centre stage at the upcoming event. The company has been steadily embedding Copilot across its key platforms—Windows, Office, and Azure—and further updates are anticipated this week.

 

New features, such as semantic search abilities in Settings, File Explorer, and the Windows search bar, are likely on the way. Additionally, Microsoft may announce enhancements to Copilot Agents, a feature introduced in April designed to streamline complex, multi-step tasks using AI.

 

Windows 11

 

Windows 11 is expected to receive notable attention as well. Microsoft may expand the rollout of the Recall feature—a tool for Copilot+ PCs that uses screenshots to help users revisit past activity. Additional system-level updates and performance improvements are also anticipated. However, despite ongoing speculation, there’s no indication that Windows 12 will be announced at this time.

 

Azure

 

While it may not dominate the headlines, Microsoft Azure is expected to play a key role at Build, particularly in the realm of AI. As a major revenue driver for Microsoft's enterprise business, Azure supports a variety of AI-powered services—including virtual agents, support chatbots, and content automation—many of which are built on OpenAI’s technology. Although Copilot is likely to be the centrepiece, Azure’s contributions to the AI ecosystem will also be in focus.

Model Context Protocol

 

As per Indian Express’ report, the chief technology officer at Microsoft, Kevin Scott, while speaking at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, ahead of the conference, said that Microsoft is supporting the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open-source standard originally introduced by Anthropic. He compared MCP's potential impact to that of hypertext protocols in the 1990s, suggesting it could help pave the way for an "agentic web" — a new phase of web interaction driven by AI agents.

 

Scott said, “It means that your imagination gets to drive what the agentic web becomes, not just a handful of companies that happen to see some of these problems first.”

 

Microsoft might also tease Project Kennan, a handheld device that is being co-developed with Asus.

Microsoft Build 2025: Keynote livestream