Microsoft's AI Agent Autopilot Set for Business Release

Microsoft is nearing the release of its AI agent, Autopilot, designed for business users. The company first introduced Autopilot at its Build conference in June as 'always-on agents that work autonomously, with their own identity, and act on your behalf.'

Autopilot is based on OpenClaw, an open-source autonomous agent that can be installed locally on a PC to accomplish tasks. Microsoft likens it to a 'digital teammate' that can work continuously without always requiring a user prompt.

Autopilot will run from a cloud-hosted server rather than locally on the user's computer and will surface through Microsoft apps, such as Teams and Outlook.

Microsoft is building guardrails around Autopilot to ensure its safe use in enterprise environments. The company sees potential for hundreds of Autopilots working within a business's IT environment to help solve problems in collaboration with human employees.