Microsoft Launches Scout, an Always-On AI Agent Built on OpenClaw, at Build Conference

Microsoft launched Scout, an always-on AI assistant built on the OpenClaw framework, at its annual Build developer conference. The agent is designed to work alongside users with a persistent identity and style, and users can name their own Scout instance. Omar Shahine, corporate vice president of Microsoft Scout, said the system adapts to individual work patterns.

“We all have our interesting quirks in how we work, and people are codifying those patterns into memories and skills that persist in their agent,” Shahine said. ” Scout is rolling out to Microsoft 365 Frontier customers and is available inside the Microsoft 365 Copilot app as well as a desktop app on Windows and macOS.

The agent requires a GitHub Copilot subscription and is based in the cloud while operating across desktop and web browser environments.

The system includes prepackaged skills for calendar management and drafting meeting agendas. Scout also contains a built-in policy conformance system that continuously checks whether the agent is operating according to set guidelines, with each conformance check producing its own audit trail.

Scout can create, edit, and search documents in a user’s workspace, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and code files.

It can execute shell commands, builds, tests, and scripts through a tiered permission system and can automate browsers using Playwright to navigate web pages, fill forms, and interact with web applications. The agent manages email, calendar, Teams messages, OneDrive files, and meetings.

It can run autonomously in the background on schedules or triggers defined by the user and can launch specialized sub-agents for parallel research, code review, and complex tasks.

Scout is built on the OpenClaw framework and Microsoft’s own Work IQ intelligence layer, which is built on data, memory, and inference. OpenClaw spread through the AI world in the first weeks of 2026 before OpenAI acquired its founder. Scout is part of a range of AI products Microsoft launched at Build, including Project Solara, an update to Copilot, and a new reasoning AI model.