Meet Microsoft Scout, Your AI Coworker That Never Logs Off
Key takeaways
- Microsoft more or less built an enterprise agent on top of Open Claw, the AI tool that riveted San Francisco’s early adopters at the start of 2026.
- Scout is part of Microsoft's larger, agent-first transformation, automating how knowledge workers use software and inserting AI assistants into daily office interactions.
- Microsoft is launching this feature with a small group of customers, with the hope of expanding access soon.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Photo-Illustration: Darrell Jackson; Getty Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Soon, your coworkers in Microsoft Teams might not all be human. Scout, an always-on AI agent announced at Microsoft’s Build developer conference on Tuesday, can go through your work messages, calendar, and email inbox to automate tasks, reschedule meeting conflicts, and draft professional-sounding responses.
Microsoft more or less built an enterprise agent on top of Open Claw, the AI tool that riveted San Francisco’s early adopters at the start of 2026. Scout is designed specifically to be an assistant for office folks, who can send commands directly in Teams as if the agent was a carbon-based coworker.
Scout is part of Microsoft's larger, agent-first transformation, automating how knowledge workers use software and inserting AI assistants into daily office interactions. “Your company essentially hires your assistant,” says Omar Shahine, the newly appointed corporate vice president of Microsoft Scout. “The whole point of having a personal assistant is that they're working when you're not working.” So, while you’re munching on some Doritos and gossiping next to the office vending machine, Scout is busy blocking off calendar time for next Tuesday’s all-hands meeting and generating talking points based on recent messages.