Microsoft 365 Copilot
Autopilot: a persistent digital teammate
Autopilot was previously called Scout. It is a persistent, proactive agent you can give a name, a role and a goal. It watches channels, follows up on threads, runs recurring work, and can pick a project up days later without waiting for a fresh prompt.
- Cloud-hosted, so it keeps working while you sleep or your attention is elsewhere
- Lives in your tenant with its own identity, memory, computer and workspace
- Built on Microsoft IQ so it can use organisation context, within permissions
- Shows up in Teams, Outlook, chats, channels and documents — you can @mention it like a colleague
- You set the objective and boundaries; it keeps you informed and in control
Microsoft’s example: running a supplier review end to end — building the schedule and workback plan, then handling prep, meetings and follow-ups, including reaching out to stakeholders for updates.
Billing is on Copilot Credits. At announcement, Autopilot was expanding to private preview at the end of September 2026. Do not assume every workplace has it switched on.
Source · Microsoft Blog, 25 September 2026
Delegating a whole objective is a different skill from prompting a chat. Before you hand work to Autopilot, name what it may touch, who it may contact, and what must come back to a person. Cost awareness belongs in the same conversation — see Credits and cost and the lesson on checking permission before you delegate.