Microsoft is developing new features for its Copilot software inspired by OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent framework, as it looks to expand the capabilities of its workplace AI tools. Microsoft Executive Vice-President Jay Parikh confirmed this in an exclusive interview with AIM at GitHub Constellation India 2026.
The planned features are expected to make Copilot more autonomous, enabling it to carry out multi-step tasks over extended periods with minimal user input.
Microsoft is testing these capabilities within its Microsoft 365 Copilot suite rather than launching a separate product, according to a report by The Information.
Parikh said Microsoft is building something similar to OpenClaw, signalling a broader rethink in how users interact with AI. He noted that tools such as OpenClaw can operate across platforms and remain continuously available. “It can be in WhatsApp and can do various things,” he said, adding that it can be personalised and used for leisure as well as substantive work, depending on how it is configured.
As part of this push, Microsoft has already introduced related tools, including Copilot Cowork and Copilot Tasks, which automate workflows such as e-mail management, scheduling, and other office functions.
Parikh said Cowork allows users to assign complex, long-running tasks to AI agents. “You can give this agent harder, deeper and longer-running projects that it can go off and interface with,” he said.
The tool integrates with enterprise data sources. “It is able to access your knowledge at your company — from your e-mail to your messages to your documents — so it can help you actually sort out lots of different problems,” Parikh explained. He added that this significantly reduces manual effort across workflows.
Microsoft is targeting enterprise customers and is building security controls that go beyond those typically associated with OpenClaw, which generally runs locally and carries risks around untrusted code execution.
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