Microsoft unveils Project Solara, an AI agent OS, plus two concept devices

Microsoft announced Project Solara, an operating system built for AI agents, at the Build 2026 developer conference. It's not based on Windows but on Android, using Microsoft's customized Device Ecosystem Platform to run on small, low-power devices while keeping enterprise security and management features. Microsoft also showed two concept devices: a desktop terminal similar to a smart speaker with a screen, unlocked via facial recognition to access AI agents directly, and a smart badge, a wearable with a camera and fingerprint sensor, 5G-enabled, that starts an AI agent with a button press, recording conversations and generating transcripts in real time, while the camera lets the AI see what the user sees. Microsoft won't launch these devices itself but offers them as reference designs for other hardware makers. Companies like Best Buy, AccuWeather, CVS Health, and Target have already started hardware pilot programs. The project is still in early stages.