AU 2026 took place in Las Vegas from September 15–17, bringing together Autodesk software users, business leaders, innovators across a wide variety of Design and Make industries. Autodesk AI was a central theme this year, with Autodesk Assistant showing how AI grounded in industry data and context can support real-world workflows. For developers, APS extends that vision through APIs, services, automation, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers – providing the tools to connect Autodesk data and capabilities with their own applications, workflows, and AI agents.
Watch AU 2026 keynotes on demand
The new APS: A developer platform for the AI era
One of our biggest announcements at AU was also one of our most important: APS is evolving to become an AI-native developer platform. APS is changing the way you discover, build, manage, and distribute your solutions rooted in AI. From using Autodesk Assistant to puzzle out what you can build and how you can build it, to using APS Workflow MCP to create solutions and the Design and Make Marketplace to distribute them at scale, it’s all connected by AI and designed to meet you where you choose to work. At AU, we announced several capabilities helping bring that vision to life:
Explore everything announced for APS at AU 2026
Platform Leadership Forum: Making AI strategy real
Before AU officially kicked off, 1000+ attendees – almost twice as many as in 2025 – joined us at the Platform Leadership Forum (PLF), our dedicated pre-conference experience for business leaders, developers, and technology innovators. This event focused on real, tangible tools that you can start to use now that enable AI workflows with your Design and Make data. The opening session, Making Your AI Strategy Real, featured Ben Cochran and Nevin Yuksel from Autodesk, a fireside chat with John Savill (Microsoft) and John Jacobs (JE Dunn Construction), and insights from Emile Kfouri (Autodesk) and Tulika Garg (Autodesk). Together, they explored how AI can connect with Design and Make data, workflows, and developer tools to move from experimentation to real-world implementation.
Attendees then chose from 3 tailored experiences:
- Business Lightning Talks and Case Studies focused on AI adoption and implementation – from preparing organizations for AI and developing new business models to real-world examples from Verdantix, Microsoft, PEC, nCircle Tech, Ulteiq, Aurigo, HDR, and Autodesk.
- Technical Lightning Talks went deeper into building with Autodesk AI and APS. Sessions covered Autodesk Assistant for developers, building AI agents with APS, MCP as a new API contract, low-code AI integrations, agent-led coding, and the APS roadmap for agentic workflows.
- Hands-on Developer Workshops gave developers the opportunity to build their own MCP servers. Joao Martins and Petr Broz (Autodesk) guided attendees through beginner and advanced tracks covered MCP setup, tools and skills, Autodesk resources, and AI-assisted development.
The Forum concluded with a networking reception and Autodesk Developer Award Ceremony, recognizing 30 members from the Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) community and giving attendees more time to connect with Autodesk experts and peers.
APS in the AU Expo
Of course, AU isn't only about hearing what's new. It's about seeing it in action. The theme at APS Expo Zone focused on two paths to AI solutions: build it yourself or take it off the shelf.
At the Build Lounge, attendees tried vibe coding and hands-on demos with Fusion Compute MCP and APS Workflow MCP, using prompts to start building with APS in minutes. In the Design and Make Market, attendees explored the Design and Make Marketplace alongside a Publisher Showcase featuring Autodesk-verified solutions. Here’s what our publishers demoed:
- Breadcrumb brought jobsite safety into the mix with tools built for teams in the field.
- COOLORANGE demoed its powerGate ERP Connector, bringing ERP context into manufacturing design workflows.
- Kroo showed how Kroo MCP can turn disconnected data into actionable knowledge.
- nCircle Tech showed how nVibe helps AEC experts turn their knowledge and workflows into apps.
- Symetri shared how they’re bringing AI into Revit workflows for model analysis and design assistance with Naviate.
- VIKTOR showcased its MCP connector for discovering and running engineering applications.
Even our swag was on theme: attendees could make their own APS buttons or grab pre-made buttons and other off-the-shelf swag.
Like every year, we host the Developer Zone, a dedicated place where attendees met 1-1 with APS Developer Advocates to troubleshoot technical challenges, dig deeper into demos, and discuss APIs and new ideas.
You can still reach our developer advocates via booking a meeting as an ADN member. Not a member? There’s never been a more exciting time to join, for a limited time get a free subscription to Autodesk Developer Network. Apply here.
APS business model roadmap
APS business model updates sparked strong interest, with customers eager to better understand new monetization plans and what they mean for the future. Sessions on passthrough billing opened the door to even more conversations about what’s next and how customers can prepare.
The message was clear: communicate directly, share information early, and give customers the time and clarity they need to plan with confidence. These conversations reinforced the value of bringing customers along as APS continues to evolve.
More ways to learn & connect
AU 2026 featured 38 in-person APS classes and 2 digital sessions covering AI and MCPs, APIs, automation, data, interoperability, and application development. Beyond the sessions, hands-on labs, meetups, and conversations with Autodesk experts gave developers more ways to learn, troubleshoot, and connect with the APS community.
Explore APS on-demand sessions from AU 2026
What’s next
AU may be over, but there are plenty of opportunities to keep building with us. APS Developer Accelerators are free, curated three-day events that bring developers and APS experts together to build, troubleshoot, and advance real-world projects. Check them out:
- Oct 13-16, 2026 | Data & Integrations Developer Accelerator in Denver, USA
- Oct 20-23, 2026 | Build with APS experts in Oslo, Norway
- Dec 1-4, 2026 | Developer Accelerator experience in Paris, France
And save the date for our biggest developer event next year: Autodesk DevCon 2027, April 12–15 in Barcelona, Spain.
AI is changing how developers interact with software, data, and workflows. We look forward to seeing what you build next – and seeing you at an upcoming Accelerator or Autodesk DevCon 2027. Until next time. J