Microsoft tests autonomous Copilots

Microsoft is testing a version of Microsoft 365 Copilot that can keep working in the background and take actions without waiting for each new prompt. (techcrunch.com) TechCrunch reported on April 13 that Microsoft confirmed to The Information it is exploring OpenClaw-like features inside Microsoft 365 Copilot for enterprise customers. The reported design is an “always working” agent that can handle multistep tasks over longer periods. (techcrunch.com) OpenClaw is an open-source tool that runs on a user’s computer and creates agents to do tasks on that person’s behalf. Microsoft’s pitch, according to the report, is that its version would come with stronger security controls for business use than the open-source alternative. (techcrunch.com) The move fits a broader shift in Copilot from chat answers to software that can actually do work inside business systems. On April 13, Microsoft said Microsoft 365 Copilot agents can now bring third-party business apps into Copilot chat so users can update records, create assets, and complete tasks without leaving the conversation. (microsoft.com) Microsoft is also expanding the tools companies use to build these systems. In a Copilot Studio update published last week, Microsoft said it added multi-agent orchestration, connected experiences, and faster prompt iteration for enterprise builders. (microsoft.com) That matters because enterprise buyers are deciding whether these agents will only suggest work or actually execute it across email, documents, calendars, and business databases. Microsoft has already introduced other task-taking products in recent months, including Copilot Cowork in March and Copilot Tasks in preview in February, both cited by TechCrunch as part of the same push. (techcrunch.com) The privacy argument is moving in the opposite direction. In an April 9 post, Mozilla said Microsoft had auto-installed the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on Windows devices running Microsoft 365 desktop apps and had pinned Copilot into key Windows surfaces before later pulling back some of those integrations. (blog.mozilla.org) Mozilla said Microsoft’s rollback from Copilot features in Photos, Notepad, the Snipping Tool, and Widgets was “the right move,” but argued it came after users had already been pushed toward the product through defaults and operating-system placement. Mozilla also said Microsoft had used “automatic installs, physical hardware, and default settings” to drive adoption. (blog.mozilla.org) Microsoft’s public messaging on the new agent features is narrower than that criticism. In its April 13 Microsoft 365 post, the company said the new agents are aimed at enterprise workflows and described them as working “under your supervision,” even as outside reporting points to testing of more autonomous behavior. (microsoft.com) The next question is not whether Copilot can answer faster, but how much authority Microsoft gives it inside workplace software. The company is now testing agents that move closer to an employee delegate than a chat box. (techcrunch.com)