> Update September 28, 2026: Microsoft Scout is now called Autopilot. It has become part of the new Copilot, alongside Home and Code. The key difference: Scout was a desktop app, Autopilot runs in the cloud. We have updated this article accordingly. The capabilities and requirements from the June preview are kept as background, but they may differ for Autopilot.
At Build 2026 (June 2), Microsoft introduced Microsoft Scout, the first in a new category of agents Microsoft calls "Autopilots": always-on, autonomous agents that work independently, have their own identity and act on your behalf. On September 25, 2026, Scout got its final name: Autopilot. In this article we explain what Autopilot is, what has changed since the Scout preview, and how to prepare your organization sensibly.
From Scout to Autopilot
Microsoft describes Autopilot as a digital teammate that is cloud-hosted, with its own identity, memory, computer and workspace inside your tenant. You give Autopilot a name, a role and a goal, and it goes to work: watching channels, following up on threads, running recurring work. Because it runs in the cloud, it keeps working while you sleep or your attention is elsewhere.
You reach Autopilot with an @mention in Teams, Outlook, chats, channels and documents. It works within the permissions and boundaries your organization sets, with audit and governance behind it.
What has changed compared to Scout?
| Microsoft Scout (June 2026) | Autopilot (September 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Desktop app on Windows 11 and macOS | In the cloud, inside your tenant |
| Place in Microsoft 365 | Separate app | Part of the new Copilot app, alongside Home and Code |
| How you reach it | Chat in the desktop app | @mention in Teams, Outlook, chats and documents |
| Status | Preview through Frontier | Private preview from end of September 2026 |
| Cost | Not yet known, consumption-based | Usage-based billing with Copilot Credits |
See Microsoft Scout in action
This video was made for the Scout preview in June. The principle of an agent that keeps working on its own is the same, but the environment (desktop app) differs from Autopilot in the cloud.
What could Scout do in the preview?
For background: these were the capabilities of the Scout preview in June. Microsoft has not yet published which of them carry over one-to-one into Autopilot. The local capabilities in particular (shell, local files) look different now that it runs in the cloud.
- Works with your files: creates, edits and searches documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, code and more).
- Runs commands: shell commands, builds, tests and scripts, with a layered permission system.
- Automates the browser: navigates, fills in forms and operates web applications.
- Connects to Microsoft 365: email, calendar, Teams messages, OneDrive files and meetings through Work IQ.
- Works autonomously: periodic check-ins and scheduled or conditional tasks.
- Delegates work: spins up specialized sub-agents for parallel research and complex tasks.
- Remembers context: keeps your preferences and decisions across conversations.
Chat, Cowork, Code and Autopilot
In the new Copilot, each part has its own role:
| What it is | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot Chat (in Home) | Questions, lookups, drafts | Fixed license |
| Copilot Cowork (in Home) | Delegate work and get a finished result back | Usage-based billing |
| Code | Build apps, dashboards and automations in plain language | Usage-based billing |
| Autopilot | A persistent, proactive cloud teammate that keeps working on its own | Usage-based billing |
New to this? Read our explainer on Copilot Cowork and the news that Cowork is generally available. For the basics: what Microsoft Copilot is and how it works.
Status and availability
Autopilot is expanding to a private preview at the end of September 2026, through the Frontier program. It is not yet generally available, and Microsoft may still change availability and capabilities. Worth preparing for now, but not something to roll out organization-wide yet.
What do you need?
For the Scout preview in June, these requirements applied:
- Windows 11 or macOS 12 (or later).
- A Microsoft 365 work or school account.
- An active Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
- A GitHub Copilot Business or Enterprise license.
- Participation in the Frontier program.
- Local admin rights and an Intune-managed account.
Because Autopilot runs in the cloud, the desktop requirements most likely no longer apply. Microsoft has not yet published the requirements for Autopilot; we will update this article as soon as they are known.
What is clear is the cost model: like Cowork and Code, Autopilot runs on usage-based billing with Copilot Credits. You pay per use, on top of your fixed Copilot license. With FinOps for AI you set budgets, limits and which models are available per group. More in our article on the new Copilot.
Security and governance
The principle from the Scout preview still stands: an autonomous agent acts under its own traceable identity, within boundaries you set.
- Its own identity per agent (no shared, anonymous service account), so work is traceable to a known actor.
- Permissions, audit and governance as you already set them up for Microsoft 365.
- Microsoft Purview policies to control what an agent may send or write.
- Approval before sensitive actions, and external content (email, web pages, Teams messages) treated as untrusted.
How Universal Cloud helps
Autopilot is still in private preview, but preparation starts now. Universal Cloud helps you with:
- Frontier access: participation and the right opt-in.
- Licensing and cost: the right Copilot licenses plus cost management for usage-based billing, so the bill doesn't surprise you.
- Governance: permissions, Purview policies and oversight, so an autonomous agent stays safely within your boundaries.
- Adoption and training: so your people use Autopilot effectively and responsibly.
Want to explore what agentic AI means for your organization today? Explore our Microsoft Copilot solutions or contact us for a no-obligation consultation.
