Microsoft Unveils Scout, an Autonomous AI Agent Built On OpenClaw
- Reference: 0183555518
- News link: https://build.slashdot.org/story/26/06/02/1835229/microsoft-unveils-scout-an-autonomous-ai-agent-built-on-openclaw
- Source link:
> Shahine said Scout can reduce mundane tasks that office workers face, such as coordinating and scheduling meeting times with colleagues, or blocking times in a user's calendar based on upcoming work commitments. "It can also spot risks, like stalled decisions, so you can address them before they become blockers," he said. It's available as an "experimental release" to customers of the company's Frontier program, Microsoft said, and will require Intune policy configuration and "opt-in attestation." [...] It's not clear whether Scout will be included in Microsoft 365 Copilot subscriptions or charged separately. Microsoft did not immediately provide additional details about pricing.
[1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2026/06/02/introducing-microsoft-scout-your-always-on-personal-agent/
[2] https://www.computerworld.com/article/4180103/microsoft-unveils-scout-an-autonomous-ai-agent-built-on-openclaw.html
uh no (Score:5, Insightful)
"Autopilots stay active in the background, understand how work gets done across your apps and systems, and take action without needing to be prompted each time," said Omar Shahine"
Actual autopilots require constant oversight, whether you're on a yacht looking or for shipping containers, or in a plane watching for mountains. That's why it's a good name for Tesla's Almost Self Driving misfeature. On that basis it's actually sort of a good name for this, in that so will these AI agents, though they won't be getting it.
If they wanted to give an air of confidence, though, they would have named it more cleverly than this, and without using a name already in common use for a semi related product.
I suggest general operating LLM enterprise management, or GOLEM ;)
Re: (Score:3)
This was my exact thought - "and take action without needing to be prompted each time" is a huge no for me. I imagine they wanted to keep the naming scheme consistent with their current "Copilot", which is a much more palatable offering, because it doesn't act without you telling it to.
Great initiative (Score:2)
...to help Microsoft. A worthy charity?
OpenClaw is a troublesome base (Score:5, Informative)
Basing things to OpenClaw is not confidence building. Consider OpenClaw's deletion of emails due to context compaction and the remedy of disabling AutoClaw's privileges. From google:
Because OpenClaw is an autonomous AI agent, it can execute scripts and file operations locally. Depending on whether you are referring to accidental file/email loss by the AI or OpenClaw's own cache files, recovery methods differ:
1. If OpenClaw Deleted Your Personal Files or EmailsAutonomous agents managing inboxes or workspaces are prone to prompt-forgetfulness during large data tasks (context window compaction). If the agent deleted your important data:
Check the Trash/Recycle Bin: Navigate to your email's Trash folder or your operating system's Recycle Bin to see if items were soft-deleted and can be restored.
Cloud & OS Backups: Retrieve lost files directly from cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive), Windows File History, or macOS Time Machine.
Data Recovery Software: If data was hard-deleted, use reliable tools like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard before the deleted sectors are overwritten.
2. Deleting OpenClaw Session and Cache FilesIf you are specifically trying to clean up OpenClaw's own accumulated .deleted.jsonl and .reset.jsonl cache files:
Clear via CLI: Run openclaw onboard --install-daemon to manage processes, or clear cache stores.
Manual Purge: Navigate directly to the directory and manually delete stale session logs (located in ~/.openclaw/agents/*/sessions/) to clear up significant disk bloat.
Best Practices to Prevent Future LossRevoke
Write Access: Only grant OpenClaw destructive permissions (like Gmail delete or hard drive deletion) if strictly necessary.
Monitor the Process: OpenClaw executes backend jobs, meaning chat prompts to "stop" may not interrupt active deletion scripts. A physical kill switch (terminating the terminal or OpenClaw node process on your host machine) is the fastest way to stop rogue operations
I will sit back and enjoy the fireworks (Score:3)
There is no way Microsoft built a good product for a change.
Microsoft Builds On Vulnerable Base (Score:2)
Is this the same OpenClaw on which a major vulnerability was recently discovered that allowed websites to take over your machine? The same OpenClaw whose stack comes with a list of remote execution and access control vulnerabilities?
Typical for Microsoft to do a lousy job of vetting their tool chain.
I'll pass.
Next up ... (Score:2)
> Microsoft Unveils Scout, an Autonomous AI Agent
Microsoft unveils Scout Master to take full advantage of your Scouts -- oh, wait...
Microsoft unveils "Alter Boy" ... - nope.
[ Naming things is hard. :-) ]
From audit to adoption. (Score:2)
Step #1: Create an "auto-pilot" entity that runs in the background auditing every action taken by every employee on every computer.
Step #2: Gather that data for a few years and feed it into the AI CP-Anal-yzer, and out spits the blueprint on how to run a company, but without the necessary detriment of those pesky humans.
Step #3: Make payment to HAL and Skynet. Or else.
How on earth can I trust it to get this right? (Score:2)
How the fuck is it really going to know which meetings I want in my diary and which I don’t, which ones need an email to check with a colleague first before sending over, and which do not? I reckon people who use this will find their diaries stuffed silly with meetings that they did not need to attend, but will be too busy to start cancelling. It just seems totally misconceived to me as a concept. And what other tasks can it actually do? Book my travel? I’ll bet it will get that wrong, too, beca
Bob! (Score:2)
They're finally going to unleash a Bob / Clippy mashup that does something.
Hilarious stories await us.
Sad ones too.
Cool kids use. (Score:3)
OpenClaw is the cool thing. Get it while it's hot.
The All-Seeing Target. (Score:2)
> OpenClaw is the cool thing. Get it while it's hot.
Nothing hotter than having Helpy Helperton the "autopilot" auto-auditing every single action being taken by every entity within the entire organization.
Get those all-knowing, all-seeing company-wide audit trails hacked while they're scorched-earth hot. I hear that special tint of target-on-your-back red paint is on sale until the end of the zero-day week at HacksRUs.