Microsoft announce Microsoft Scout, the first in a brand-new category of always-on autonomous Agents known as Autopilots.

Rather than solely relying on user prompts, this installable desktop AI application leverages Work IQ to learn your work habits and preferences over time. It works independently in the background, interacting with your Microsoft 365 data to do things like proactively flagging important meetings, or keeping an eye on your inbox and Teams for any outstanding decisions that are waiting on you.

Whilst an always-on Agent might sound like a privacy risk, Microsoft emphasise the security and compliance controls available. Scout has its own Entra identity, ensuring that any actions it takes remain within your organisational permissions. It can only view sensitive files or perform actions that you’ve explicitly approved, and its activities are fully auditable.

Licensing wise, you’ll need to be licensed for Microsoft 365 Copilot and Intune, as well as GitHub Copilot Business or Enterprise for additional token-based billing based on usage. Installation also requires specific system prerequisites and enrollment in the Frontier Preview Program, which is Microsoft’s early-access platform for experimental software.

Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/43Biayu and check out the Learn documentation for installation details: https://bit.ly/4xw3zBQ.