- Microsoft is reportedly working on an alternative to OpenClaw
- Copilot users are increasing, but nowhere near ChatGPT engagement levels
- New M365 E7 and Agent 365 plans point to increased demand for AI agent management
Microsoft is believed to be working on its own autonomous AI agents, inspired by OpenClaw.
By The information In reporting, the proposed agent platform could replace or work alongside existing Copilot tools, bringing proactive, always-on AI to workers who, if they choose Microsoft AI today, will only have reactive assistants.
It’s unclear whether the company would target on-premises or cloud-based agents, or a hybrid of the two, but if today’s Copilot is anything to go by, they’ll likely only work within the Microsoft ecosystem or, at best, work better there.
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Microsoft wants to create proactive AI agents
If Microsoft were to launch its own OpenClaw-like agent platform, it would likely initially target enterprise customers, building on existing Copilot Cowork development.
We could see agents with specific roles for sectors such as sales, marketing and accounting, and probably access controls and permissions per agent, and AI agents will increasingly be treated like humans.
The informationSources also claim that Microsoft is targeting agents that are “more secure” than the competition (read OpenClaw).
Compared to other hyperscalers and AI companies, Microsoft initially fell short on the AI front. ChatGPT remains by far the most popular AI chatbot, with four out of five sessions worldwide (according to Statcounter). Perhaps Microsoft hopes that getting ahead of the curve on the proactive agency front can win back lost enterprise customers.
The company recently confirmed the launch of a new E7 tier, which includes parts of Microsoft 365, Copilot and Agent 365 for a new world where bosses are expected to manage humans and AI agents simultaneously.
Microsoft also recently stated that Copilot users had grown 160% year over year and that daily active users had increased tenfold.
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