Microsoft launches Scout, an AI assistant built on OpenClaw framework, available through Frontier program

Scout is an always-on agentic assistant (AI that makes autonomous decisions on tasks) designed to work within Microsoft 365, with a persistent identity that users name and train over time. It operates across desktop and web browser, connecting to inboxes, calendars, and other systems.

Scout comes with prepackaged skills for calendar management and drafting meeting agendas, but is built to learn from user behavior and custom skills. VP Omar Shahine stated the goal is to create an assistant that adapts to the user's needs, gaining agency and exercising judgment as it learns.

The system includes a built-in 'policy conformance system' that continuously checks whether Scout operates according to set guidelines, with each check producing an audit trail—a security measure addressing concerns about unsupervised AI agents acting erratically.

Scout is available through Microsoft's Frontier program (which gives early adopters access to experimental Microsoft products) and requires a GitHub Copilot subscription to use.