Microsoft is developing an agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot that can run persistently on local hardware and execute multistep tasks autonomously, the company has confirmed to The Information, in a move that positions it against the open source OpenClaw project.
OpenClaw is a locally run tool that creates agents capable of acting on a user's computer on their behalf and has driven notable interest in Mac Mini hardware among users seeking to run it.
Microsoft told The Information the planned agent would "essentially be a version of 365 Copilot that is always working, able to take actions at any time," and that it is capable of completing complex tasks over extended periods.
The company said it is targeting enterprise customers and will offer stronger security controls than the open source alternative, addressing concerns about the risks of autonomous agents running outside managed cloud environments.
Microsoft already offers agentic features within Microsoft 365 through two separate products: Copilot Cowork, which takes actions inside Microsoft 365 applications and is powered by its own Work IQ technology, and Copilot Tasks, introduced earlier this year as a preview.
Both Cowork and Tasks operate in the cloud rather than on local hardware, and Microsoft has also added Anthropic's Claude as an option within Cowork.
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The new locally capable agent would therefore extend the company's agentic portfolio beyond cloud-only execution, potentially addressing both security requirements and the market demand that OpenClaw's popularity has revealed.
Microsoft is expected to demonstrate the agent at its Microsoft Build developer conference, according to The Verge.The recap
- Microsoft is testing OpenClaw-like agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Cowork uses "Work IQ" technology to personalize Microsoft 365 apps
- Microsoft plans to demo the new agent at Microsoft Build conference
