Editorial illustration for Microsoft tests OpenClaw‑style AI bots for always‑on 365 Copilot, VP Shahine says
Microsoft Copilot's AI Agents Reshape Workplace Automation
Microsoft tests OpenClaw‑style AI bots for always‑on 365 Copilot, VP Shahine says
Microsoft’s latest internal trials hint at a shift in how its productivity suite might operate behind the scenes. Engineers have been feeding experimental “OpenClaw‑style” agents into the 365 Copilot pipeline, watching them attempt routine actions without a user’s explicit prompt. While the tech is still in a sandbox, the goal appears to be a version of Copilot that can surface suggestions, schedule meetings, or draft documents the moment a need arises.
The move follows a broader push to embed more autonomous capabilities into enterprise software, something that could change the cadence of daily workflows. Yet the practical implications remain uncertain—will users welcome a constantly listening assistant, or will the added automation create friction? Here’s the thing: the company wants 365 Copilot to become an always‑on agent that completes tasks on behalf of users, according to The Information.
Omar Shahine, Microsoft’s corporate vice president, confirmed to The Information that the firm is “exploring the potential of technologies like OpenClaw in an enterpri”.
The company wants 365 Copilot to become an always-on agent that completes tasks on behalf of users, according to The Information. Omar Shahine, Microsoft's corporate vice president, confirmed to The Information that the company is "exploring the potential of technologies like OpenClaw in an enterprise context." OpenClaw is an open-source platform that allows users to create AI-powered agents that run locally on a user's device. The platform rose in popularity earlier this year, though it has since raised a number of serious security concerns.
Sources tell The Information that Microsoft is confident that it can implement "safer" versions of the tool. The always-on version of 365 Copilot could reportedly do things like monitor a user's Outlook inbox and calendar and serve up a list of suggested tasks each day. Microsoft is also exploring OpenClaw-like agents tailored to certain roles, such as marketing, sales, and accounting, to "limit the permissions the agent needs," siloing them from other parts of a business, according to The Information.
Microsoft's latest experiment pushes 365 Copilot toward an always‑on model. By borrowing concepts from OpenClaw, the company hopes the assistant can act autonomously, handling routine tasks without prompting. Omar Shahine, corporate vice president, told The Information the team is “exploring the potential of technologies like OpenClaw in an enterprise.” The test is reportedly internal, and no timeline for a broader rollout has been disclosed.
If the bots can reliably interpret user intent and execute actions, they could reduce the need for manual interaction. Yet the report offers no data on accuracy, security safeguards, or how users might retain control. Questions remain about how such continuous operation will mesh with existing privacy policies.
Moreover, the phrase “always‑on agent” suggests a shift from reactive assistance to proactive task management, and it's still unclear whether the underlying technology can sustain that level of reliability. For now, Microsoft is gathering early feedback, and the outcome will determine if the approach moves beyond the testing phase.
Further Reading
- How OpenClaw Could Transform Microsoft 365 Copilot - The AI Economy
- Microsoft 365 Copilot “Frontier” and OpenClaw Agents: AI in Office ... - Windows Forum
- OpenClaw vs ChatGPT vs Copilot: Which AI for Your Law Firm? - My Legal Academy
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Common Questions Answered
What is the OpenClaw-style approach Microsoft is testing for 365 Copilot?
Microsoft is experimenting with AI agents that can perform routine tasks autonomously without explicit user prompts. These OpenClaw-style agents are being integrated into the 365 Copilot pipeline to potentially enable proactive assistance like drafting documents, scheduling meetings, and surfacing suggestions automatically.
How does Omar Shahine describe Microsoft's exploration of OpenClaw technology?
Omar Shahine, Microsoft's corporate vice president, confirmed that the company is actively exploring the potential of technologies like OpenClaw in an enterprise context. The goal is to transform 365 Copilot into an always-on agent capable of completing tasks on behalf of users without constant manual intervention.
What is the current status of Microsoft's OpenClaw-inspired Copilot experiments?
The OpenClaw-style AI agents are currently being tested internally in a controlled sandbox environment. No specific timeline has been disclosed for a broader rollout, indicating that the technology is still in an experimental phase of development.