Introducing Microsoft Scout: Your AI Colleague that Always Stays Online

Before long, your colleagues in Microsoft Teams may not all be human. Scout, an AI agent that is always active and was introduced at Microsoft’s Build developer conference on Tuesday, can analyze your work messages, calendar, and emails to automate tasks, resolve scheduling conflicts, and create professional responses.

Microsoft has essentially developed an enterprise agent using OpenClaw, the AI tool that captivated early adopters in San Francisco at the beginning of 2026. Scout is crafted specifically to assist office workers, who can communicate with it directly in Teams as if it were a human coworker.

Scout is part of Microsoft’s broader, agent-first strategy, automating software use for knowledge professionals and incorporating AI assistants into everyday office activities. “Your company effectively hires your assistant,” says Omar Shahine, the newly appointed corporate vice president of Microsoft Scout. “The primary purpose of having a personal assistant is that they’re available when you’re off the clock.” So, while you’re enjoying some snacks and chatting next to the office vending machine, Scout is busy reserving time for next Tuesday’s all-hands meeting and preparing talking points based on recent communications.

Microsoft is rolling out this feature with a select group of customers, with plans for wider access soon. Besides the Teams integration, Microsoft is also piloting a desktop app for Scout. This app is being released today to users who have opted for “frontier” feature access and currently requires an active GitHub Copilot subscription.

When users share their goals and preferences with Scout, the bot can proactively allocate tasks. For instance, Shahine instructed Scout to always safeguard family dinner time, so whenever a meeting is suggested during that slot, the agent will flag it and automatically propose rescheduling options to colleagues.

Courtesy of Microsoft

With access to your emails and messages, the AI agent can tailor tasks to your workload. Shahine requested Scout to sift through all his information and maintain an updated list of every time someone makes a promise to him and every time he commits to someone else. Then, Scout can send reminders regarding outstanding tasks and draft follow-up plans.

Anyone trying out Scout should anticipate some imperfections as Microsoft refines this agent. Shahine mentioned that his Scout—affectionately named Sebastian—sent an email recently that was “just one big run-on sentence, no formatting.” It’s essential to find a balance between what tasks you’re comfortable automating and what requires your direct oversight.

Shahine believes Scout will ultimately benefit all knowledge workers, particularly those who may not be as tech-savvy and wouldn’t feel at ease working with an agent via the terminal. “Internally, our sales organization is probably the largest and fastest-growing group utilizing this,” he states.