Microsoft unveils Scout AI assistant for workplace tasks

Microsoft has unveiled Scout, a new artificial intelligence assistant designed to operate autonomously in the background to manage workplace tasks. The company announced the tool, described as the first of a new category of "Autopilots," at its annual Build developer conference.

Scout connects to Microsoft 365 applications including Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint. It is built to proactively handle coordination work by accessing a user's emails, calendar, chats, and files. According to company officials, its functions include scheduling meetings across time zones, flagging important messages or stalled decisions, and automatically blocking time on a calendar to help users prepare for upcoming deliverables.

Unlike interactive chatbots or assistants that require prompts, Autopilots are designed as always-on agents that work independently with their own governed digital identity. Omar Shahine, corporate vice president for Microsoft Scout, stated that these agents stay active in the background, understand workflows, and take action without needing to be prompted each time. Because they operate under a specific identity, their actions are attributable and confined to...