Trending Now - Microsoft Launches Full Agent 365 Amid Rising AI Risks

WHO:

GeekWire - Omar Shahine, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, is leading "Project Lobster," an OpenClaw-based agent.

VentureBeat - David Weston, Corporate Vice President of AI Security at Microsoft.

VentureBeat - Microsoft, a software giant.

WHAT:

VentureBeat - Microsoft is launching Windows 365 for Agents in public preview, currently limited to the United States, which creates a new class of Cloud PCs purpose-built for agentic workloads.

VentureBeat - Microsoft plans to expand local agent discovery to 18 different agent types by June 2026, including GitHub Copilot CLI and Claude Code.

VentureBeat - A live "Ask Microsoft Anything" session on Agent 365 is scheduled for May 12.

VentureBeat - Microsoft has taken Agent 365 out of preview and into general availability, indicating a shift in the urgency of governance challenges around autonomous AI.

VentureBeat - Agent 365 is now available as part of the Microsoft 365 E7 suite or as a standalone product priced at $15 per user per month.

VentureBeat - A new public preview of Agent 365 registry sync enables IT teams to connect with AWS Bedrock and Google Cloud, specifically the Google Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform.

VentureBeat - Microsoft plans to expand local agent discovery to 18 different agent types by June 2026, including GitHub Copilot CLI and Claude Code.

VentureBeat - Context mapping, policy-based controls, and runtime blocking will enter public preview through Intune and Defender in June 2026.

VentureBeat - Microsoft is launching Windows 365 for Agents in public preview, which creates a new class of Cloud PCs purpose-built for agentic workloads.

VentureBeat - A new public preview of Agent 365 registry sync enables IT teams to connect with AWS Bedrock and Google Cloud, specifically the Google Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform.

VentureBeat - Agent 365 extends Microsoft Entra network controls to cover agent traffic from Microsoft Copilot Studio agents and local agents like OpenClaw.

VentureBeat - Starting today, organizations enrolled in Microsoft’s Frontier program can use Agent 365 to detect OpenClaw agents running on managed Windows devices.

VentureBeat - Microsoft is launching Windows 365 for Agents in public preview, currently limited to the United States, which creates a new class of Cloud PCs purpose-built for agentic workloads.

VentureBeat - Microsoft plans to expand local agent discovery to 18 different agent types by June 2026, including GitHub Copilot CLI and Claude Code.

VentureBeat - Context mapping, policy-based controls, and runtime blocking will enter public preview through Intune and Defender in June 2026.

GeekWire - "Project Lobster" has more than 3,000 daily users inside Microsoft.

VentureBeat - Microsoft launched Agent 365, its management platform for AI agents, taking it out of preview and into general availability.

VentureBeat - Agent 365 is priced at $15 per user per month.

VentureBeat - Microsoft plans to expand local agent discovery to 18 different agent types by June 2026.

VentureBeat - Microsoft Defender will provide "asset context mapping" for each discovered agent starting in June 2026.

VentureBeat - A live "Ask Microsoft Anything" session on Agent 365 is scheduled for May 12.

WHERE:

VentureBeat - Agent 365 is available as part of the new Microsoft 365 E7 suite or as a standalone product.

VentureBeat - The public preview of Windows 365 for Agents is currently limited to the United States.

WHEN:

VentureBeat - Agent 365 was first announced at Microsoft’s Ignite conference in November.

VentureBeat - The third category of agents participating in team workflows enters public preview today.

VentureBeat - Context mapping, policy-based controls, and runtime blocking will enter public preview through Intune and Defender in June 2026.

WHY:

VentureBeat - Microsoft believes the governance challenge around autonomous AI is operational and urgent.

VentureBeat - Enterprises are trying to find a balance between allowing AI agents to run freely and ensuring security.

HOW:

VentureBeat - Microsoft Defender will provide "asset context mapping" for each discovered agent starting in June 2026, creating a relationship graph for security assessments.

VentureBeat - Context mapping, policy-based controls, and runtime blocking will enter public preview through Intune and Defender in June 2026.

VentureBeat - Agent 365 introduces policy-based controls that allow administrators to set guardrails for agent behavior, with runtime blocking capabilities for malicious actions.

VentureBeat - Microsoft Defender will provide "asset context mapping" for each discovered agent starting in June 2026, creating a relationship graph for security assessments.

VentureBeat - Microsoft Defender will provide "asset context mapping" for each discovered agent starting in June 2026, building a relationship graph for security assessments.

VentureBeat - Agent 365 introduces policy-based controls that let administrators set guardrails for what agents can and cannot do, with runtime blocking capabilities for malicious behavior.

VentureBeat - Agent 365 introduces a new "Shadow AI" page in the Microsoft 365 admin center for discovering local AI agents.

VentureBeat - Microsoft is extending Agent 365’s governance reach to rival cloud platforms, including AWS Bedrock and Google Cloud, enabling IT teams to connect with these platforms for agent management.

VentureBeat - Agent 365 introduces a new "Shadow AI" page in the Microsoft 365 admin center for discovering local AI agents.

VentureBeat - Agent 365 functions as a centralized registry and policy engine for AI agents, providing IT administrators with a single view of every agent operating within their environment.

VentureBeat - Microsoft is extending Agent 365’s governance reach to rival cloud platforms, including AWS Bedrock and Google Cloud.

VentureBeat - Organizations enrolled in Microsoft’s Frontier program can use Agent 365 to detect OpenClaw agents running on managed Windows devices.

(UPDATED May 5, 2026 19:23 UTC)

Microsoft is launching Windows 365 for Agents in public preview, specifically designed for agentic workloads and currently available only in the United States. The company plans to expand local agent discovery to 18 different agent types by June 2026, which will include tools like GitHub Copilot CLI and Claude Code. Additionally, a live "Ask Microsoft Anything" session on Agent 365 is set for May 12, while Microsoft Defender will introduce "asset context mapping" for security assessments starting in June 2026.

(UPDATED May 5, 2026 15:35 UTC)

Microsoft has officially launched Agent 365, moving it out of preview and into general availability, which highlights the growing importance of governance in autonomous AI. The new offering is available as part of the Microsoft 365 E7 suite or as a standalone product for $15 per user per month, and it includes features like policy-based controls and runtime blocking to enhance security. Looking ahead, Microsoft plans to introduce a public preview of context mapping and policy controls through Intune and Defender in June 2026, along with expanding local agent discovery to include 18 different agent types.

(UPDATED May 5, 2026 13:24 UTC)

Microsoft is launching Windows 365 for Agents in public preview, which is designed specifically for agentic workloads, while also introducing a new public preview of Agent 365 registry sync that connects IT teams with AWS Bedrock and Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. Additionally, Agent 365 extends Microsoft Entra network controls to manage traffic from both Microsoft Copilot Studio agents and local agents like OpenClaw, allowing organizations in Microsoft's Frontier program to detect OpenClaw agents on managed Windows devices starting today. Looking ahead to June 2026, Microsoft Defender will enhance security assessments by providing "asset context mapping" for each discovered agent, along with policy-based controls in Agent 365 that enable administrators to set restrictions and block malicious behavior.

(UPDATED May 5, 2026 09:36 UTC)

Microsoft is launching Windows 365 for Agents in public preview, creating a new class of Cloud PCs specifically designed for agentic workloads, though it's currently limited to the United States. The company plans to expand local agent discovery to 18 different agent types, including GitHub Copilot CLI and Claude Code, by June 2026, while also introducing context mapping, policy-based controls, and runtime blocking through Intune and Defender during the same month. Additionally, Agent 365 will feature a new "Shadow AI" page in the Microsoft 365 admin center for discovering local AI agents and will extend its governance capabilities to rival cloud platforms like AWS Bedrock and Google Cloud.

(UPDATED May 4, 2026 23:20 UTC)

Omar Shahine, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, is at the helm of "Project Lobster," which is based on the OpenClaw framework and currently boasts over 3,000 daily users within the company. In related news, Microsoft 365 has introduced a new "Shadow AI" page in its admin center, designed to help users discover local AI agents. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance AI integration across Microsoft's platforms.

(UPDATED May 4, 2026 21:21 UTC)

Microsoft has officially launched Agent 365, its management platform for AI agents, moving it from preview to general availability and pricing it at $15 per user per month. The company plans to expand local agent discovery to 18 different agent types and introduce "asset context mapping" through Microsoft Defender, both set to roll out in June 2026. Additionally, a live "Ask Microsoft Anything" session about Agent 365 is scheduled for May 12, providing an opportunity for users to learn more about this new tool.