Microsoft has announced Project Solara, its new AI agent platform targeting the next shift from apps to autonomous agents. The company demonstrated the system at Build 2026, showing how Solara could power future AI-first devices with intelligent capabilities beyond current app-based systems.

At the developer conference, Microsoft showcased two reference devices running on Solara: a smart display similar to Amazon's Echo Show and a mobile smart key badge. Both devices feature voice input capabilities and represent Microsoft's vision for how AI agents will function in everyday environments.

The smart display integrates with Microsoft 365 to access data like Outlook events and Excel spreadsheets, while the mobile key badge includes a touchscreen and camera for on-the-go information input. Microsoft positions these devices as prototypes for the coming wave of AI-powered tools that can theoretically execute tasks on behalf of users.