Since the launch of Openclaw, a new trend has emerged in the AI sector. Instead of chatbots handling individual tasks, AI agents are used around the clock. You can give them multiple tasks to complete independently while you do other things. Microsoft is now jumping on this bandwagon for its apps.
Microsoft Scout as a personal AI assistant
As the company announced in a press release, two innovations are now available for the first users. First, the group is implementing a new category of AI agents in its apps. The so-called “autopilots” remain active in the background and can carry out tasks for you without further instructions in the Microsoft ecosystem. Just like it is possible with Openclaw.
To ensure that the new category of AI agents is not completely empty, Microsoft is also implementing the first agent called Scout. Microsoft Scout can connect to a number of the company’s apps. As soon as you start your own scout, you first have to give the assistant a name and determine what personality the AI should have. You can also specify which apps and devices Scout can access.
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Basically, the AI agent is able to use a number of apps. Communication with the agent takes place via Teams. Scout can also access Outlook, Onedrive and Sharepoint if you allow it. You can also decide whether you want to give the AI agent access to your browser, local data or external services (via the model context protocol).
According to Microsoft, with these extensive access rights, Scout can take over many workflows for you. This includes planning meetings in which participants are spread across multiple time zones, as well as automatically detecting possible blockers in the workflow, which the AI will alert you to independently.
In another example from Microsoft, Scout keeps an eye on the email inbox to alert users directly to emails that require them to make an immediate decision. Microsoft emphasizes that Scout should continually learn how you work and adapt its way of working accordingly. Over time, more and more tasks should be completed automatically before you even have to ask the AI to do them.
Like Openclaw, only with more security?
According to Microsoft, Scout is based on the open source technology from Openclaw. However, the company has apparently implemented some additional mechanisms to give companies that use Scout in Microsoft 365 more security. This includes, for example, that every scout agent created runs under the administration of the company. The AI agents are not anonymous, but can always be traced back to a source.
Administrators can also determine which tasks the scout agents are allowed to carry out in the company or which access is generally prohibited. Particularly “sensitive actions” always require the confirmation of a human. Scout should always take into account the rules and settings that companies have already implemented in Microsoft 365. This means that no extensive configurations need to be made to operate Scout.
After Microsoft employees have been able to work with Scout for a while, the AI agent is now being activated for a number of testers and for companies that are part of the Frontier program. AI is disabled by default. The use must first be approved manually. A GitHub Copilot subscription is also required to use the tool.
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