Microsoft Agent Framework adds CodeAct pattern and Hyperlight containers

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Microsoft has announced two new capabilities in its Agent Framework, now in public preview. The CodeAct pattern allows AI agents to collapse a multi-step plan into a single executable code block, rather than chaining tool calls one at a time — a shift that reportedly cuts end-to-end latency in representative workloads. The announcement also references Hyperlight containers, a lightweight virtualization technology for securely running agent-generated code. Together, these additions target two core agent-builder pain points: execution efficiency and sandboxed code safety.