<p>According to technology media outlet The Information, a new team led by Microsoft Corporate Vice President Omar Shahine is exploring the integration of open-source AI agent OpenClaw technology into 365 Copilot. The goal is to create a batch of AI agents capable of autonomous all-day operation without requiring step-by-step user instructions to handle complex tasks.</p><p>The report states that CEO Satya Nadella has recently prioritized restructuring Copilot and moved the reporting lines of several executives directly to the CEO level.</p><p>Behind the competitive pressure lies a clear market signal. Microsoft's stock price has fallen cumulatively by 24% this year, performing the worst among large-cap tech stocks; meanwhile, paid Copilot users account for only 3% of the total Office 365 user base. Anthropic announced this month that Claude can be directly integrated into users' Microsoft 365 applications and further previewed new features for automated operations within Word documents last Friday, directly encroaching on Copilot's core territory.</p><h2>Transplanting OpenClaw Features: All-Day Autonomous Operation</h2><p>The core of Microsoft's current Copilot transformation is introducing OpenClaw's operational model into enterprise scenarios. OpenClaw operates by controlling computers—possessing access rights and control over specific applications, enabling it to execute tasks independently around the clock like a human user.</p><p>According to two sources directly familiar with the matter, Senior Vice President Charles Lamanna is currently leading this initiative. After Nadella restructured the Copilot engineering team last month, Lamanna's reporting line was elevated directly to the CEO. He now has over ten engineers assigned to new roles focused on developing OpenClaw features.</p><p>In terms of specific functionality, Microsoft hopes 365 Copilot will run continuously in the background, proactively handling complex tasks rather than merely responding passively to user queries. A person involved in the project gave an example: future versions of Copilot will be able to continuously monitor users' Outlook emails and calendars and automatically generate to-do list suggestions at the start of each day. In Excel, it could also organize content across other tabs in the background while the user operates on one tab.</p><p>Additionally, product managers are discussing the development of specialized agents for specific functions such as marketing, sales, or finance. Sources indicate that specialized deployment helps limit the scope of permissions required by the agents, thereby reducing security risks for enterprise use.</p><h2>Security Remains the Biggest Obstacle</h2><p>Despite optimism from Microsoft's senior leadership regarding this direction, precedents of &#34;out-of-control&#34; autonomous AI agents have made enterprise buyers cautious. Individuals involved in the project admitted that the work is still in its early stages. Whether they can demonstrate that the product is sufficiently safe and meets enterprise-grade deployment standards will directly determine the final solution's direction.</p><p>Microsoft possesses certain advantages at the infrastructure level. The Azure cloud platform offers virtual machine services that can serve as an alternative environment for running OpenClaw, eliminating the need for many individual users to purchase Mac Minis specifically for running all-day agents. Microsoft's Agent 365 product released last year also aims to help enterprises manage AI agents by assigning them identity credentials and application login tokens.</p><p>According to insiders, some engineers are currently relatively optimistic, expecting that certain new features may be ready for preview before Microsoft's Build developer conference in June. However, the source emphasized that there remains significant uncertainty regarding these developments; related plans could be adjusted or even shelved.</p><h2>Commercial Tug-of-War: Customers Betting on Both Sides</h2><p>Currently, Microsoft and Anthropic are directly competing for enterprise customers in the same market, with some users beginning to actively compare their overlapping functionalities.</p><p>Alexandre Giess, a marketing executive at German manufacturer Ameco Group, stated that he purchased multiple 365 Copilot seats for his team but recently expanded subscriptions to Claude because Claude performs better in Excel automation tasks. He also mentioned plans to test Microsoft's newly launched Cowork feature. &#34;Seeing Microsoft's Cowork announcement, I thought, if Microsoft has already embedded Claude, perhaps I don't need to subscribe to Claude separately anymore. If Microsoft achieves comparable levels, I might switch back,&#34; he said.</p><p>Judson Althoff, head of Microsoft's commercial business, revealed to employees last week that first-quarter Copilot sales exceeded &#34;aggressive targets,&#34; with some growth coming from usage-based billing Copilot products rather than relying solely on per-seat subscriptions. He instructed the sales team to focus on promoting usage models driven by high-frequency, repetitive AI agent interactions to drive consumption growth.</p><p>However, customers who left due to poor early experiences are difficult to win back. Nimesh Mehta, Chief Information Officer of insurance company National Life Group, stated that the company significantly cut its budget during the Copilot testing phase and shifted to OpenAI's ChatGPT. &#34;Our early test users said it was completely useless because it took twice as long to do everything. We gave it a two-page document to summarize, and it returned a four-page document,&#34; Mehta added. &#34;I know it's much better now, and we might give it a second chance, but I'm not sure if this battle is worth it.&#34;</p><h2>Structural Dilemmas Facing Copilot</h2><p>The root of Microsoft's current competitive dilemma lies in the misalignment between its business model and the boundaries of its AI capabilities. 365 Copilot is sold as a $30-per-month add-on subscription to Office users, but as of January this year, paid users numbered only 15 million, representing just 3% of the total Office 365 user base.</p><p>Meanwhile, Anthropic is embedding Claude directly into Microsoft's core application ecosystem—PowerPoint, Excel, and Word—gradually bypassing Copilot to reach enterprise users directly. Notably, Microsoft itself pays Anthropic fees to use its models and released the Anthropic-driven Copilot Cowork feature in March this year.</p><p>Nadella's response involves tightening both organizational structure and product strategy: integrating engineering teams, elevating executive reporting lines, and betting on the autonomous agent form via the OpenClaw route. Whether this restructuring can deliver convincing results for developers before the Build conference will be the first major milestone for external assessment of Microsoft's AI strategy execution.</p>

MSFT

MSFU

MSFO

MSFX

MSFL

- Microsoft is exploring the integration of open-source AI technology OpenClaw into its 365 Copilot to create autonomous AI agents that can run continuously and handle complex tasks without user prompts.  
- CEO Satya Nadella has prioritized restructuring Copilot following a decrease in stock prices and low adoption rates among Office 365 users, as competitors like Anthropic enhance their offerings.  
- While Microsoft faces skepticism about safety and functionality amidst rising competition, some engineers are optimistic about showcasing new features by June's Build developer conference.

Wallstreetcn

Microsoft

ISHRS S&P Glb It

Direxion Daily MSFT Bull 2X Shares

YieldMax MSFT Option Income Strategy ETF

SPDR S&P Software

T-Rex 2X Long Microsoft Daily Target ETF

GraniteShares 2x Long MSFT Daily ETF

iShares Expanded Tech Software Sector ETF

Is the Microsoft Version of Lobster Coming? Report: Copilot to Integrate OpenClaw Technology, Aiming for All-Day Autonomous Operation