Microsoft is working on something big.
According to a TechCrunch report on April 13, an internal team at Microsoft is developing an enterprise-grade AI agent that draws on the design philosophy of OpenClaw, specifically targeting Microsoft 365 business users. The information comes directly from inside Microsoft, and the official launch is likely to happen at the Microsoft Build conference in June.
How is this different from the current Copilot?
Doesn't Microsoft already have Copilot?
Yes, it does. But the current Copilot works like this: you open a chat box, ask a question, and it gives you an answer. That's a conversational model where the user is the active party.
The new product is designed to do something different: the agent runs in the background at all times, without you needing to open it. It decides for itself what needs to be done and then does it.
Microsoft has already released two products this year that are close to this direction:
- Copilot Cowork (March): Can operate autonomously across various Microsoft 365 applications
- Copilot Tasks (February): Helps with daily tasks like email organization and schedule management
But these two are still task-level: you initiate, and it executes. The new agent is meant to be continuously running — multi-step tasks that can span several days without requiring constant oversight.
Why the OpenClaw approach?
OpenClaw is currently the most popular open-source AI agent framework. Its core feature is enabling AI to continuously and autonomously control a computer to complete tasks, rather than operating in a question-and-answer mode. Many users run it locally on a Mac Mini for various automation workflows.
The problem with OpenClaw is that while it works well for individuals, it poses risks for enterprises — who is using it, what are they doing, and is data being leaked? None of this is easy to control.
Microsoft sees a gap in demand: OpenClaw's capabilities combined with enterprise-grade security and governance. Microsoft itself has stated that the new product will emphasize "security, governance, and trust."
The background is very real: during the period when OpenClaw was exploding in popularity, many IT departments had nightmares about employees secretly running an agent on personal devices to automate company systems — no logs, no audits, no control. What Microsoft is essentially doing now is providing an official, IT-manageable answer to this need.
Where does this move fit in Microsoft's strategy?
It's clearer when you look at this news in the context of Microsoft's actions over the past six months:
- January: Semantic Kernel and AutoGen merged into Agent Framework 1.0
- February: Copilot Tasks launched
- March: Copilot Cowork released; Agent 365 unified console announced for general availability on May 1
- April: M365 Copilot announced a new round of agentic updates, integrating more third-party applications; internal team working on always-on agent
- June: Build conference expected to see the official launch of the new agent
In enterprise AI, Microsoft is following a path from tools to platforms to infrastructure. Selling Copilot seats is just the first step; the next step is to incorporate the entire enterprise workflow.
The new always-on agent is a key part of this path — without continuous operation capability, the so-called "enterprise AI transformation" is just swapping out a question-and-answer interface.
Is it worth waiting for?
We won't see the official product until the Build conference in June, and details are scarce right now. But the direction itself is correct: a truly helpful AI tool for enterprise employees must run continuously, rather than requiring you to go to it.
The problem is that Microsoft's history with enterprise tools has proven one thing: powerful features don't necessarily mean a hassle-free experience. If the new agent's security configuration requires the IT department to spend two weeks setting up, or if every action requires clicking through three confirmation dialogs, then it will still be far from the vision of "always helping you get work done."
See you in June.
Sources: CocoLoop, Microsoft is working on yet another OpenClaw-like agent (TechCrunch); Microsoft Explores Always-On AI Agents in Copilot as Enterprise Demand for Autonomous Workflows Grows (The AI Insider)