Anthropic launches Claude Cowork, an AI agent that handles file tasks without coding skills

Anthropic's new Cowork tool offers Claude Code without the code | TechCrunch

On Monday, Anthropic announced a new tool called Cowork, designed as a more accessible version of Claude Code. Built into the Claude Desktop app, the new tool lets users designate a specific folder where Claude can read or modify files, with further instructions given through the standard chat interface. The result is similar to a sandboxed instance of Claude Code, but requires far less technical savvy to set up. Currently in research preview, Cowork is only available to Max subscribers, with a waitlist available for users on other plans. The new tool is inspired in part by the growing number of subscribers using Claude Code to achieve non-coding tasks, treating it as a general-purpose agentic AI tool. Cowork is built on the Claude Agent SDK, which means it's drawing on the same underlying model as Claude Code. The folder partition gives an easy way to manage what files Cowork has access to, and because the app doesn't require command-line tools or virtual environments, it's less intimidating for non-technical users. That opens up a new world of potential use cases. Anthropic gives the example of assembling an expense report from a folder of receipt photos -- but Claude Code users have also put the system to work managing media files, scanning social media posts, or analyzing conversations. Similar to Claude Code, Cowork is designed to take strings of actions without user input -- a potentially dangerous approach if the tool is given vague or contradictory instructions. In a blog post announcing the new tool, Anthropic explicitly warns about the risk of prompt injection or deleted files, recommending that users make instructions as clear and unambiguous as possible. "These risks aren't new with Cowork," the post reads, "but it might be the first time you're using a more advanced tool that moves beyond a simple conversation." Launched as a command-line tool in November 2024, Claude Code has become one of Anthropic's most successful products, leading the company to launch a string of new interfaces in recent months. A web interface launched in October, followed by a Slack integration just two months later.

Anthropic's Claude Cowork Is an AI Agent That Actually Works

Cowork is a user-friendly version of Anthropic's Claude Code AI-powered tool that's built for file management and basic computing tasks. Here's what it's like to use it. As a software reporter at WIRED, I've tested a lot of shitty agents over the past couple of years. These experiences expose a consistent pattern of generative AI startups overpromising and underdelivering when it comes to these "agentic" helpers -- programs designed to take control of your computer, performing chores and digital errands to free up your time for more important things. But the bots I installed on my laptop would struggle to complete even basic tasks. They just didn't work. This poor track record makes Anthropic's latest agent, Claude Cowork, a pleasant surprise. When I tested it by running it through some basic and intermediate demos the company suggested in addition to my own commands, it worked fairly well -- especially for software that's still in beta. It can do things like organize files into folders, convert file types, generate reports, and even take over the browser to search the web or tidy up a Gmail inbox. When it comes to file management and computer interfaces, this tool feels like the start of a pleasant user experience evolution. Last year, Anthropic nurtured a cult following for its Claude Code tool among developers who loved its ability to understand codebases and run commands, with tech staffers across San Francisco using it for their work seemingly all the time. But most people aren't members of some buzzy startup's technical staff. "We tried a bunch of different ideas to see what form factor would make sense for a less technical audience that doesn't want to use a terminal," says Boris Cherny, Anthropic's head of Claude Code. For the past two months, Cherny has written all of his code with AI. Cowork was built using AI tools. Released by Anthropic earlier this week as a research preview, Cowork takes the abilities available in the company's coding focused tool and makes the user experience more approachable. This tool is designed for the wider group of nontechnical users, who may want to experiment with a new way of controlling their computers but get freaked out by a command line. Right now, Cowork is only available as part of a research preview to subscribers of Anthropic's $100-a-month plan, which is a common release strategy for generative AI companies soft-launching new features to early adopters. Felix Rieseberg, a member of technical staff at Anthropic who focuses on Cowork, says he uses it to file expense reports and do file conversions. "If this PDF is too big, make it smaller," he says. "Turn these 20 JPGs into one PDF. Make me a report about all of these things." Rieseberg is excited by how more advanced users are already experimenting with complex applications, but sees the most straightforward, file-focused applications as "my favorite" uses of the research preview. This early release is limited to the Claude on Mac, with a wider rollout potentially down the line. And even though you can use it to interact with files on your computer, an internet connection is required for Cowork to run. The Cowork tab appears next to the "Chat" and "Code" tabs in the Claude app for macOS. User sessions are labeled as "tasks" rather than "chats." The biggest reason for not trying out Cowork is the ongoing security risk inherent in these kinds of agents. Like most agents, Cowork is susceptible to prompt injection attacks, secret messages hidden online that try to trick AI tools and deviate them from tasks. You shouldn't expose sensitive data to a tool that can be compromised in this way. "Since Claude can read, write, and permanently delete these files, be cautious about granting access to sensitive information like financial documents, credentials, or personal records," reads Anthropic's online support page. It suggests creating a dedicated folder filled with nonsensitive information you want Claude to be able to access and saving backups of critical files.

Cowork for Claude Can Tap Into a Folder on Your Computer and Organize Its Contents

Imad is a senior reporter covering Google and internet culture. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with The New York Times, The Washington Post, ESPN, Tom's Guide and Wired, among others. Cowork is a new feature for the AI chatbot Claude that taps into a user's computer folder to either modify it or create new projects with the data, Anthropic said in a blog post on Monday. Cowork is currently only available to MacOS users with a $100/month Claude Max subscription. Cowork works by having users give Claude access to a computer folder. Once in, users can then chat with Claude and have it organize all the files, rename items to match a specific naming convention or read the files inside to create spreadsheets or other documents. For example, if there's a folder with a bunch of receipts, Cowork can organize all the files and create a spreadsheet listing all the expenses. Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source. Anthropic also gave Cowork the ability to link to Connectors, which are ways for Claude to connect to other apps to create documents, presentations or other projects. Additionally, Cowork works with the Claude in Chrome extension, allowing it to complete tasks that require browser access. Anthropic stresses that Claude can't edit anything to which it hasn't been given access. But since Cowork is still in research preview, there's a chance the AI might cause unintended consequences. The company recommends using Cowork only on non-sensitive items. Anthropic also warns against potential prompt-injection attacks, where AIs inadvertently suck up commands from websites across the internet and perform unintended actions. The company says it's built defenses against these possibilities. However, if an attacker uses a prompt-injection attack to seize control of Claude, which also has access to a folder on your computer containing sensitive information via Cowork, it could pose a significant problem. A representative for Anthropic didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Cowork by Anthropic comes as more AI models are gaining agentic capabilities. This is when an AI can do more than just chat with a user. Instead, these AIs can go out onto the internet and perform tasks on behalf of the user, such as booking travel, compiling a complex report or ordering a pizza. Tools like ChatGPT Agent and Gemini Agent are already fulfilling tasks for users. Companies are taking AI one step further, as with Google's Gemini 2.5 Computer Use model. This enables AI to access a computer directly, allowing it to interact with and accomplish tasks. Agentic AI is also infiltrating the retail space. Last week, Google and its retail partners announced a new open standard for online shopping that enables AIs to work across multiple retailers and payment systems.

Claude Cowork automates complex tasks for you now - at your own risk

Anthropic is testing a new feature for Claude that would give the chatbot more agency when handling routine but time-consuming tasks, like creating a spreadsheet or synthesizing notes into a presentable first draft. Cowork, as the new feature is being called, is built atop Claude Code and designed to execute complex functions with minimal human prompting, all while keeping users updated on the steps it's taking. The idea is to hand over the raw materials that Claude will need to carry out a given task, then step away and let it do its work automatically. Through Cowork, users can grant Claude access to specific folders on their computer, and the feature can also be modified to use connectors, skills, and Google Chrome. Also: Claude can integrate with Excel now - and gets 7 new connectors "Cowork is designed to make using Claude for new work as simple as possible," Anthropic wrote in a blog post. "You don't need to keep manually providing context or converting Claude's outputs into the right format. It feels much less like a back-and-forth and much more like leaving messages for a coworker." Anthropic acknowledged in its blog post, however, that using Cowork at this early stage of its development isn't totally without risk. While the company said Cowork will ask users for confirmation "before taking any significant actions," it also warned that ambiguous instructions could lead to disaster: "The main thing to know is that Claude can take potentially destructive actions (such as deleting local files) if it's instructed to," Anthropic wrote in its blog post. "Since there's always some chance that Claude might misinterpret your instructions, you should give Claude very clear guidance around things like this." This speaks to the broader alignment problem that all AI developers face: namely, that models -- especially those designed to have greater agency -- can misinterpret benign human instructions or otherwise behave in unexpected ways, potentially leading to calamitous results. In a more extreme case, research from Anthropic found that leading AI models will sometimes threaten human users if they believe they're being prevented from achieving their goals. Also: How OpenAI is defending ChatGPT Atlas from attacks now - and why safety's not guaranteed Anthropic also warned that Cowork is vulnerable to prompt injection, a Trojan horse-style of malicious hacking in which an agent is instructed to act in destructive or illegal ways. The blog post said that Anthropic has fortified Claude with "sophisticated defenses against prompt injections," but admitted that this was "still an active area of development in the industry." OpenAI, Anthropic's top competitor, wrote in a blog post of its own last month that prompt injections will likely remain an unsolvable problem for AI agents, and that the best that developers could hope to do was to minimize the margins through which malicious hackers could attack. Anthropic has distinguished itself in the increasingly crowded AI industry primarily by building tools that are trusted by software engineers and businesses. In September, the company announced it had raised $14 billion in its latest funding round, bringing its total valuation to $183 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the company could be valued at $350 billion after a new round of funding. Also: How Anthropic's enterprise dominance fueled its monster $183B valuation The debut of Cowork hints at what could become a growing effort from Anthropic to make its flagship chatbot the preferred AI tool not only for coders and businesses, but also for everyday users. Anthropic is initially releasing Cowork as a research preview exclusively for Claude Max subscribers, who can access it now by downloading the Claude MacOS app and clicking "Cowork" in the sidebar. For other users, a waitlist should be available shortly, and we'll update this when we have a link to share. The company said in its blog post that it will use early feedback to guide future improvements to Cowork, such as enabling cross-device use, availability on Windows, and upgraded safety features.

Anthropic wants you to use Claude to 'Cowork' in latest AI agent push

Anthropic wants to expand Claude's AI agent capabilities and take advantage of the growing hype around Claude Code -- and it's doing it with a brand-new feature released Monday, dubbed "Claude Cowork." "Cowork can take on many of the same tasks that Claude Code can handle, but in a more approachable form for non-coding tasks," Anthropic wrote in a blog post. The company is releasing it as a "research preview" so the team can learn more about how people use it and continue building accordingly. So far, Cowork is only available via Claude's macOS app, and only for subscribers of Anthropic's power-user tier, Claude Max, which costs $100 to $200 per month depending on usage. Here's how Claude Cowork works: A user gives Claude access to a folder on their computer, allowing the chatbot to read, edit, or create files. (Examples Anthropic gave included the ability fo "re-organize your downloads by sorting and renaming each file, create a new spreadsheet with a list of expenses from a pile of screenshots, or produce a first draft of a report from your scattered notes.") Claude will provide regular updates on what it's working on, and users can also use existing connectors to link it to external info (like Asana, Notion, PayPal, and other supported partners) or link it to Claude in Chrome for browser-related tasks. "You don't need to keep manually providing context or converting Claude's outputs into the right format," Anthropic wrote. "Nor do you have to wait for Claude to finish before offering further ideas or feedback: you can queue up tasks and let Claude work through them in parallel. It feels much less like a back-and-forth and much more like leaving messages for a coworker." The new feature is part of Anthropic's (and its competitors') bid to provide the most actually useful AI agents, both for consumers and enterprise. AI agents have come a long way from their humble beginnings as mostly-theoretically-useful tools, but there's still much more development needed before you'll see your non-tech-industry friends using them to complete everyday tasks. Anthropic's "Skills for Claude," announced in October, was a partial precursor to Cowork. Starting in October, Claude could improve at personalized tasks and jobs, by way of "folders that include instructions, scripts, and resources that Claude can load when needed to make it smarter at specific work tasks -- from working with Excel [to] following your organization's brand guidelines," per a release at the time. People could also build their own Skills for Claude relative to their specific jobs and tasks they needed to be completed. As part of the announcement, Anthropic warned about the potential dangers of using Cowork and other AI agent tools, namely the fact that if instructions aren't clear, Claude does have the ability to delete local files and take other "potentially destructive actions" -- and that with prompt injection attacks, there are a range of potential safety concerns. Prompt injection attacks often involve bad actors hiding malicious text in a website that the model is referencing, which instructs the model to bypass its safeguards and do something harmful, such as hand over personal data. "Agent safety -- that is, the task of securing Claude's real-world actions -- is still an active area of development in the industry," Anthropic wrote. Claude Max subscribers try out the new feature by clicking on "Cowork" in the sidebar of the macOS app. Other users can join the waitlist.

Anthropic floats Claude Cowork for office work automation

Just be careful not to entrust the AI model with your sensitive data Anthropic on Monday announced the research preview of Claude Cowork, a tool for automating office work that comes with the now familiar recitation of machine learning risks. The company said Cowork was inspired by Claude Code, its tool for generating programming code using natural language prompts and whatever files and tools have been made accessible. With Claude Code, the output is generally source code or related artifacts like documentation or configuration files. With Cowork, the output may be local files like spreadsheets or interaction with desktop or web applications. Cowork may find fans among knowledge workers who have to create presentations but take no pride in their work, who need to move data between applications without codified import and export rituals, or who have to conduct extensive reformatting operations in spreadsheets. It may also find favor as a crutch that allows people with minimal application skills to delegate activities beyond their competency to an AI model with a different set of limitations. Think of all the charts Cowork can produce for those untutored in data science and statistics, or the proposals and position papers it can generate for summarization by other AI models. But to function, Cowork must have access to files and applications. That's where the warning comes in. Anthropic makes it clear that Cowork is a research preview and should be used with caution. Users are advised not to give Cowork access to local files containing sensitive information. When used in conjunction with the Claude in Chrome extension (which comes with its own safety warning), Cowork should be limited to accessing trusted websites. The same goes for modifying Claude's default internet settings. Also, users are advised to "monitor Claude for suspicious actions that may indicate prompt injection." Yes, if you happen to sic the AI model on a file or website that contains text that could be interpreted as a system instruction rather than data, you could trigger an indirect prompt injection attack. Security researchers have repeatedly shown how relatively easy it is to craft such attacks. Anthropic goes on to offer reassurance that it implements various layers of protection, like reinforcement learning to convince Claude to refuse malicious instructions and content classifiers that attempt to catch malicious consent before it can be passed to the underlying model. But the company follows its mollification with a cautionary reprise: "Important: While we've enacted these safety measures to reduce risks, the chances of an attack are still non-zero. Always exercise caution when using Cowork." You've been warned. For those still not convinced to proceed carefully, there's a disclaimer of liability that insists "You remain responsible for all actions taken by Claude performed on your behalf." In case that's not clear, the company says this includes content published or messages sent, purchases or financial transactions, data accessed or modified, and the terms of service at third-party websites, which, like Amazon, may prohibit automated interaction without permission. Once you've gotten past the disclaimers and the necessary permissions have been granted, and if you happen to meet the access requirements - a Claude Max subscription ($100 or $200 per month) and the Claude macOS desktop app - then you can tell Cowork "Please help organize my desktop." With any luck, the assistive software will rearrange your messy desktop files more thoroughly than your Mac's Clean Up Selection command. That's not all. "Claude can then read, edit, or create files in that folder," Anthropic explains in its blog post. "It can, for example, re-organize your downloads by sorting and renaming each file, create a new spreadsheet with a list of expenses from a pile of screenshots, or produce a first draft of a report from your scattered notes." Cowork can be extended to work with third-party apps and sites via Connectors, and with specific file formats like PowerPoint (pptx), Excel (xlsx), Word (docx), and PDF (pdf) via Skills. The challenge is figuring out what makes sense to automate. Some batch operations on desktop files may be more efficient as CLI commands or shell scripts, which Claude might even compose if asked. Anthropic has acknowledged that users may have trouble coming up with ways to employ Claude by publishing a list of suggested use cases. These include tasks like "clean up promotional emails," "organize files in Google Drive," and "thoughtful gift giving with Claude" . Anthropic said it expects to make improvements in Cowork based on feedback, and to bring the automation service to Windows. ®

Anthropic opens up its Claude Cowork feature to anyone with a $20 subscription

Claude Cowork, Anthropic's AI assistant for taking care of simple tasks on your computer, is now available for anyone with a $20 per month Pro subscription to try. Anthropic launched Cowork as an exclusive feature for its Max subscribers, who pay a minimum of $100 per month for more uses of Claude's expensive reasoning models and early access to experimental features. Now Claude Cowork is available at a cheaper price, though Anthropic notes "Pro users may hit their usage limits earlier" than Max users do. Like other AI agents, the novelty of Claude Cowork is its ability to work on its own. If you have the macOS Claude app and a Pro subscription, you can prompt Claude Cowork to work on tasks on your local computer, like creating documents based on files you have saved or organizing your folders. The feature is an evolution of Claude Code, Anthropic's AI coding agent, and can similarly use connectors and the Claude Chrome plugin to work with other apps and the web. As part of this expanded rollout, Anthropic has included a few fixes inspired by early user feedback. You'll now be able to rename sessions with Claude Cowork ("Tasks" in the parlance of the Claude app) and the company says the AI assistant will offer better file format previews, more reliable use of connectors to other apps and confirmation messages before it deletes files. Coding agents top the list of applications of AI that have gained real traction in the last year, so Anthropic applying what it learned with Claude Code to a more general collection of computer tasks makes sense. Claude Cowork is still limited to macOS and Anthropic's paid subscribers, but assuming the AI agent continues to be popular, it wouldn't be surprising if the company brought it to other platforms.

Anthropic made a version of its coding AI for regular people

If you follow Anthropic, you're probably familiar with Claude Code. Since the fall of 2024, the company has been training its AI models to use and navigate computers like a human would, and the coding agent has been the most practical expression of that work, giving developers a way to automate rote programming tasks. Starting today, Anthropic is giving regular people a way to take advantage of those capabilities, with the release of a new preview feature called Claude Cowork. The company is billing Cowork as "a simpler way for anyone -- not just developers -- to work with Claude." After you give the system access to a folder on your computer, it can read, edit or create new files in that folder on your behalf. Anthropic gives a few different example use cases for Cowork. For instance, you could ask Claude to organize your downloads folder, telling it to rename the files contained within to something that's easier to parse at a glance. Another example: you could use Claude to turn screenshots of receipts and invoices into a spreadsheet for tracking expenses. Cowork can also navigate websites -- provided you install Claude's Chrome plugin -- and make can use Anthropic's Connectors framework to access third-party apps like Canva. "Cowork is designed to make using Claude for new work as simple as possible. You don't need to keep manually providing context or converting Claude's outputs into the right format," the company said. "Nor do you have to wait for Claude to finish before offering further ideas or feedback: you can queue up tasks and let Claude work through them in parallel." If the idea of granting Claude access to your computer sounds ill-advised, Anthropic says Claude "can't read or edit anything you don't give it explicit access to." However, the company does note the system can "take potentially destructive actions," such as deleting a file that is important to you or misinterpreting your instructions. For that reason, Anthropic suggests it's best to give "very clear" guidance to Claude. Anthropic isn't the first to offer a computer agent. Microsoft, for example, has been pushing Copilot hard for nearly three years, despite seemingly limited adoption. For Anthropic, the challenge will be convincing people these tools are useful where others have failed. The fact Claude Code has been universally loved by programmers may make that task easier. For now, Anthropic is giving users of its pricey Claude Max subscription first access to the preview. If you want to try Cowork for yourself, you'll also need a Mac with the Claude macOS app installed. For everyone else, you'll need to join a wait list.

Claude's new Cowork feature threatens Gemini's Workspace advantage -- and puts dozens of startups at risk

Anthropic has quietly crossed a line that many AI startups have been racing toward for years Earlier this week, Anthropic made waves by announcing a launch into healthcare, just days after OpenAI revealed ChatGPT Health. Now, the company just announced Cowork, a new research preview that turns Claude from a conversational assistant into something closer to an autonomous digital coworker -- one that can directly read, create, edit and organize files on your computer, plan multi-step tasks and carry them out with minimal supervision. While this new feature is currently now only available to Claude Max subscribers on macOS, this move is huge. Cowork dramatically expands what Claude can do beyond chat. And while it's positioned as a "simpler" way to work with Claude, its implications are anything but small, especially for small businesses and startups. Cowork gives Claude access to a folder on your computer that you explicitly choose. From there, Claude can: Instead of waiting for a prompt-response loop, Claude creates a plan and executes it step by step, checking in as it goes. If you've used Claude Code, the experience will feel familiar -- but Cowork removes the need for coding entirely. Pair it with browser access, and Claude can complete tasks that involve web research, downloads or form-filling. Pair it with existing connectors and it can pull in external data automatically. In practice, Anthropic is promising Claude Cowork feels like assigning work to a colleague and coming back later to review progress. Until now, most "agentic" AI tools -- systems that can take actions rather than just respond -- have been developer-focused, complex or fragmented across multiple apps. Now, Cowork lowers that barrier dramatically. You don't need to: Users can simply queue instructions, add feedback mid-process and let Claude handle the execution. That alone puts Cowork in a different category from traditional AI chat tools. Here's the part that should make founders nervous. Cowork directly overlaps with dozens of startups built around: Many of these startups exist specifically to bridge the gap between chat-based AI and real work on your computer. Cowork erases much of that gap in one move -- and it does so inside a tool millions of people already use. Instead of launching a nich feature, Anthropic has potentially absorbed entire product categories into its core platform. For startups, the risk isn't that Cowork does everything better today. It's that: In other words, even Cowork has made standalone tools feel redundant. Anthropic is careful to emphasize guardrails. Claude can only see folders you explicitly grant access to, and it asks before taking significant actions. But there are real risks, including: Anthropic has always put safety first, building defenses against these issues, but agent safety remains an active area of development -- and Cowork may be the first time many users experience an AI tool with this level of autonomy. This is a significant moment signaling a broad shift in AI, especially as the race heats up every day. For big tech, it's no longer about who has the best chatbot, but which one truly owns the workspace. By turning Claude into an AI that can actually do the work -- not just suggest it -- Anthropic is moving into territory once dominated by productivity apps, automation platforms and niche AI tools. Cowork is available now as a research preview for Claude Max subscribers on macOS, with Windows support and additional safety features planned in future updates.

Anthropic used mostly AI to build Claude Cowork tool

Anthropic's newest productivity experiment, Cowork, is notable not just for what it does, but for how it was made. Cowork is essentially a version of the AI coding tool Claude Code for non-developers. And according to the company, much of Cowork was built by Claude Code itself, turning the AI into both the product and a key part of the development process. Instead of writing software, users grant Claude access to a folder on their computer and ask it to perform real work, such as organizing files, drafting reports, compiling spreadsheets from screenshots, or cleaning up documents. Unlike a standard chat, Cowork operates with more autonomy. You assign a task, and Claude plans and executes it step by step, keeping you informed as it progresses. Anthropic says that after launching Claude Code, it noticed users repurposing it for everyday tasks far beyond programming, from planning trips to managing personal data. That behavior directly inspired Cowork's agentic design. When asked on X how much of Cowork was built using Claude Code, Boris Cherny, Anthropic's head of Claude Code, replied simply: "All of it." This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Cowork is launching as a research preview for Claude Max subscribers on macOS, with Anthropic emphasizing that this is an early step toward more agent-like AI tools.

Anthropic's new Cowork tool offers Claude coding help to non-experts

It'll work across apps with connectors to third-party services Anthropic has shared the first details of its new Cowork tool, available to Claude Max subscribers within the macOS app, and it's been described as "Claude Code for the rest of your work." The company explained that Cowork operates more like an AI agent than a simplistic generative AI model, which means it can make its own plans and execute tasks step-by-step, updating the user as it progresses. "It feels much less like a back-and-forth and much more like leaving messages for a coworker," Anthropic wrote, describing the tool that's currently in research preview. Some examples that Anthropic gives of Cowork's work include generating an expense spreadsheet from multiple screenshots, drafting a report from scattered notes, and cleaning email inboxes. Cowork also offers extensions and connectors for "when you've mastered the basics." Linking the tool to Claude in Chrome, for example, lets Cowork conduct tasks that require browser access. A preconfigured set of Agent Skills have also been added to Cowork to help it create certain document types more effectively. Anthropic did warn of Cowork's "potentially destructive actions" - by giving it access to your files, for example, it could delete them (if instructed to). The company even warned of prompt injections from attackers. "These risks aren't new with Cowork, but it might be the first time you're using a more advanced tool that moves beyond a simple conversation," Anthropic wrote. Future work includes bringing Cowork to Windows, and a separate waitlist exists for those who aren't currently subscribed to the $100/month Max plan.

Anthropic's viral new work tool wrote itself

Why it matters: The viral popularity of the tool -- called Cowork, and designed to help non-coders with everyday work tasks -- signals a shift toward software built by AI, with humans guiding the way. Driving the news: Anthropic's head of Claude Code, Boris Cherney, said on X that "all" of Cowork was built with Claude Code, the company's AI-powered coding tool. * It's an example of "vibe coding" -- an AI-driven approach where people mostly use prompts to create software, rather than write code themselves. * Users can ask Cowork to create new spreadsheets from a pile of screenshots, organize messy downloads, or create draft reports from scattered notes. What they're saying: Felix Rieseberg, of Anthropic's technical staff: "We built Cowork the same way we want people to use Claude: describing what we needed, letting Claude handle implementation, and steering as we went." * "We spent more time making product and architecture decisions than writing individual lines of code" * It only took a week and a half to build Cowork, Rieseberg adds. Zoom out: The early buzz around Cowork is bringing more attention to "vibe coding" tools from other AI companies, too. * "You don't want to be one of the ones left behind, clinging to your keyboard," technologist Chris Maconi posted on X. "Download Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode, or whatever AI coding tools you can get your hands on." Reality check: Cowork is still just a preview, limited to Claude Max subscribers using macOS. * Dan Shipper, co-founder and CEO of AI subscription service Every, tells Axios that he has a handful of small complaints -- which are really just feature requests. * It only works on Claude's desktop app, not mobile or the web. He can only work in one folder at a time, and the UI can be a little confusing. * "It's a work in progress," Shipper says. What's next: Anthropic's Rieseberg is asking for feedback on the new tool.

Anthropic launches Cowork, a Claude Desktop agent that works in your files -- no coding required

Anthropic released Cowork on Monday, a new AI agent capability that extends the power of its wildly successful Claude Code tool to non-technical users -- and according to company insiders, the team built the entire feature in approximately a week and a half, largely using Claude Code itself. The launch marks a major inflection point in the race to deliver practical AI agents to mainstream users, positioning Anthropic to compete not just with OpenAI and Google in conversational AI, but with Microsoft's Copilot in the burgeoning market for AI-powered productivity tools. "Cowork lets you complete non-technical tasks much like how developers use Claude Code," the company announced via its official Claude account on X. The feature arrives as a research preview available exclusively to Claude Max subscribers -- Anthropic's power-user tier priced between $100 and $200 per month -- through the macOS desktop application. For the past year, the industry narrative has focused on large language models that can write poetry or debug code. With Cowork, Anthropic is betting that the real enterprise value lies in an AI that can open a folder, read a messy pile of receipts, and generate a structured expense report without human hand-holding. How developers using a coding tool for vacation research inspired Anthropic's latest product The genesis of Cowork lies in Anthropic's recent success with the developer community. In late 2024, the company released Claude Code, a terminal-based tool that allowed software engineers to automate rote programming tasks. The tool was a hit, but Anthropic noticed a peculiar trend: users were forcing the coding tool to perform non-coding labor. According to Boris Cherny, an engineer at Anthropic, the company observed users deploying the developer tool for an unexpectedly diverse array of tasks. "Since we launched Claude Code, we saw people using it for all sorts of non-coding work: doing vacation research, building slide decks, cleaning up your email, cancelling subscriptions, recovering wedding photos from a hard drive, monitoring plant growth, controlling your oven," Cherny wrote on X. "These use cases are diverse and surprising -- the reason is that the underlying Claude Agent is the best agent, and Opus 4.5 is the best model." Recognizing this shadow usage, Anthropic effectively stripped the command-line complexity from their developer tool to create a consumer-friendly interface. In its blog post announcing the feature, Anthropic explained that developers "quickly began using it for almost everything else," which "prompted us to build Cowork: a simpler way for anyone -- not just developers -- to work with Claude in the very same way." Inside the folder-based architecture that lets Claude read, edit, and create files on your computer Unlike a standard chat interface where a user pastes text for analysis, Cowork requires a different level of trust and access. Users designate a specific folder on their local machine that Claude can access. Within that sandbox, the AI agent can read existing files, modify them, or create entirely new ones. Anthropic offers several illustrative examples: reorganizing a cluttered downloads folder by sorting and intelligently renaming each file, generating a spreadsheet of expenses from a collection of receipt screenshots, or drafting a report from scattered notes across multiple documents. "In Cowork, you give Claude access to a folder on your computer. Claude can then read, edit, or create files in that folder," the company explained on X. "Try it to create a spreadsheet from a pile of screenshots, or produce a first draft from scattered notes." The architecture relies on what is known as an "agentic loop." When a user assigns a task, the AI does not merely generate a text response. Instead, it formulates a plan, executes steps in parallel, checks its own work, and asks for clarification if it hits a roadblock. Users can queue multiple tasks and let Claude process them simultaneously -- a workflow Anthropic describes as feeling "much less like a back-and-forth and much more like leaving messages for a coworker." The system is built on Anthropic's Claude Agent SDK, meaning it shares the same underlying architecture as Claude Code. Anthropic notes that Cowork "can take on many of the same tasks that Claude Code can handle, but in a more approachable form for non-coding tasks." The recursive loop where AI builds AI: Claude Code reportedly wrote much of Claude Cowork Perhaps the most remarkable detail surrounding Cowork's launch is the speed at which the tool was reportedly built -- highlighting a recursive feedback loop where AI tools are being used to build better AI tools. During a livestream hosted by Dan Shipper, Felix Rieseberg, an Anthropic employee, confirmed that the team built Cowork in approximately a week and a half. Alex Volkov, who covers AI developments, expressed surprise at the timeline: "Holy shit Anthropic built 'Cowork' in the last... week and a half?!" This prompted immediate speculation about how much of Cowork was itself built by Claude Code. Simon Smith, EVP of Generative AI at Klick Health, put it bluntly on X: "Claude Code wrote all of Claude Cowork. Can we all agree that we're in at least somewhat of a recursive improvement loop here?" The implication is profound: Anthropic's AI coding agent may have substantially contributed to building its own non-technical sibling product. If true, this is one of the most visible examples yet of AI systems being used to accelerate their own development and expansion -- a strategy that could widen the gap between AI labs that successfully deploy their own agents internally and those that do not. Connectors, browser automation, and skills extend Cowork's reach beyond the local file system Cowork doesn't operate in isolation. The feature integrates with Anthropic's existing ecosystem of connectors -- tools that link Claude to external information sources and services such as Asana, Notion, PayPal, and other supported partners. Users who have configured these connections in the standard Claude interface can leverage them within Cowork sessions. Additionally, Cowork can pair with Claude in Chrome, Anthropic's browser extension, to execute tasks requiring web access. This combination allows the agent to navigate websites, click buttons, fill forms, and extract information from the internet -- all while operating from the desktop application. "Cowork includes a number of novel UX and safety features that we think make the product really special," Cherny explained, highlighting "a built-in VM [virtual machine] for isolation, out of the box support for browser automation, support for all your claude.ai data connectors, asking you for clarification when it's unsure." Anthropic has also introduced an initial set of "skills" specifically designed for Cowork that enhance Claude's ability to create documents, presentations, and other files. These build on the Skills for Claude framework the company announced in October, which provides specialized instruction sets Claude can load for particular types of tasks. Why Anthropic is warning users that its own AI agent could delete their files The transition from a chatbot that suggests edits to an agent that makes edits introduces significant risk. An AI that can organize files can, theoretically, delete them. In a notable display of transparency, Anthropic devoted considerable space in its announcement to warning users about Cowork's potential dangers -- an unusual approach for a product launch. The company explicitly acknowledges that Claude "can take potentially destructive actions (such as deleting local files) if it's instructed to." Because Claude might occasionally misinterpret instructions, Anthropic urges users to provide "very clear guidance" about sensitive operations. More concerning is the risk of prompt injection attacks -- a technique where malicious actors embed hidden instructions in content Claude might encounter online, potentially causing the agent to bypass safeguards or take harmful actions. "We've built sophisticated defenses against prompt injections," Anthropic wrote, "but agent safety -- that is, the task of securing Claude's real-world actions -- is still an active area of development in the industry." The company characterized these risks as inherent to the current state of AI agent technology rather than unique to Cowork. "These risks aren't new with Cowork, but it might be the first time you're using a more advanced tool that moves beyond a simple conversation," the announcement notes. Anthropic's desktop agent strategy sets up a direct challenge to Microsoft Copilot The launch of Cowork places Anthropic in direct competition with Microsoft, which has spent years attempting to integrate its Copilot AI into the fabric of the Windows operating system with mixed adoption results. However, Anthropic's approach differs in its isolation. By confining the agent to specific folders and requiring explicit connectors, they are attempting to strike a balance between the utility of an OS-level agent and the security of a sandboxed application. What distinguishes Anthropic's approach is its bottom-up evolution. Rather than designing an AI assistant and retrofitting agent capabilities, Anthropic built a powerful coding agent first -- Claude Code -- and is now abstracting its capabilities for broader audiences. This technical lineage may give Cowork more robust agentic behavior from the start. Claude Code has generated significant enthusiasm among developers since its initial launch as a command-line tool in late 2024. The company expanded access with a web interface in October 2025, followed by a Slack integration in December. Cowork is the next logical step: bringing the same agentic architecture to users who may never touch a terminal. Who can access Cowork now, and what's coming next for Windows and other platforms For now, Cowork remains exclusive to Claude Max subscribers using the macOS desktop application. Users on other subscription tiers -- Free, Pro, Team, or Enterprise -- can join a waitlist for future access. Anthropic has signaled clear intentions to expand the feature's reach. The blog post explicitly mentions plans to add cross-device sync and bring Cowork to Windows as the company learns from the research preview. Cherny set expectations appropriately, describing the product as "early and raw, similar to what Claude Code felt like when it first launched." To access Cowork, Max subscribers can download or update the Claude macOS app and click on "Cowork" in the sidebar. The real question facing enterprise AI adoption For technical decision-makers, the implications of Cowork extend beyond any single product launch. The bottleneck for AI adoption is shifting -- no longer is model intelligence the limiting factor, but rather workflow integration and user trust. Anthropic's goal, as the company puts it, is to make working with Claude feel less like operating a tool and more like delegating to a colleague. Whether mainstream users are ready to hand over folder access to an AI that might misinterpret their instructions remains an open question. But the speed of Cowork's development -- a major feature built in ten days, possibly by the company's own AI -- previews a future where the capabilities of these systems compound faster than organizations can evaluate them. The chatbot has learned to use a file manager. What it learns to use next is anyone's guess.

Anthropic launches Cowork, a file-managing AI agent that could threaten dozens of startups | Fortune

The tool, which the company describes as "Claude Code for the rest of your work," leverages the abilities of Anthropic's popular Claude Code software development assistant but is designed for non-technical users as opposed to programmers. Many have pointed out that Claude Code is already more of a general-use agent than a developer-specific tool. It is capable of spinning up apps that perform functions for users across other software. But non-developers have been put off by Claude Code's name and also the fact that Claude Code needs to be used with a coding-specific interface. Some of the use cases Anthropic showcased for Claude Cowork include reorganizing downloads, turning receipt screenshots into expense spreadsheets, and producing first drafts from notes across a user's desktop. Anthropic has described the tool, which can work autonomously, as "less like a back-and-forth and more like leaving messages for a coworker." Anthropic reportedly built Cowork in approximately a week and a half, largely using Claude Code itself, according to the head of Claude Code, Boris Cherny. "This is a general agent that looks well positioned to bring the wildly powerful capabilities of Claude Code to a wider audience," Simon Willison, a UK-based programmer, wrote of the tool. "I would be very surprised if Gemini and OpenAI don't follow suit with their own offerings in this category." With Cowork, Anthropic is now competing more directly with tools like Microsoft's Copilot for the enterprise productivity market. The company's strategy of starting with a developer-focused agent and then making it accessible to everyone else could give it an edge, as Cowork will inherit the already-proven capabilities of Claude Code rather than being built as a consumer assistant from scratch. This approach could make Anthropic -- which is already reportedly outpacing rival OpenAI in enterprise adoption -- an increasingly attractive option for businesses looking for AI tools that can handle work autonomously. Like any other AI agent, Claude Cowork comes with security risks, particularly around "prompt injections," where attackers trick LLMs into changing course by inserting malicious, hidden instructions into webpages, images, links, or any content found on the open web. Anthropic addressed the issue directly in the announcement, warning users about the risks and offering advice such as limiting access to trusted sites when using the Claude in Chrome extension. The company, however, acknowledged the tool was still vulnerable to these attacks, despite Anthropic's defenses: "We've built sophisticated defenses against prompt injections, but agent safety -- that is, the task of securing Claude's real-world actions -- is still an active area of development in the industry...We recommend taking precautions, particularly while you learn how it works." The launch has also sparked concern among startup founders about the competitive threat posed by major AI labs bundling agent capabilities into their core products. Cowork's ability to handle file organization, document generation, and data extraction overlaps with dozens of AI startups that have raised funding to solve these specific problems. For startups building applications on top of models from major AI companies, the concern about foundational AI labs building a similar functionality as part of their base product is a common one. In response to these concerns, many startups have argued that companies with deep domain expertise or a better user experience for specific workflows may still maintain defensible positions in the market.

Anthropic's Claude advances on more office worker tasks

How it works: Cowork lets users give Claude access to a specific folder on their computer. * From there, the system plans and executes tasks on its own -- reading, editing, and creating files while updating the user on its progress, rather than waiting for step-by-step prompts. * Cowork can create new spreadsheets with a list of expenses from a pile of screenshots or organize a messy downloads folder by renaming the files so they make sense based on their content. * Anthropic says the tool can also create a first draft of a report from your scattered notes. The big picture: Anthropic frames Cowork as a shift away from conversational AI toward delegating work to an agent. * Once a task is set, Cowork makes a plan and carries it out with far more agency than users would see in a regular Claude conversation, according to the company. Reality check: Workers and managers alike say many AI tools reduce productivity, creating mistake-riddled work that requires more time to correct. * Anthropic says that concern around "workslop" is exactly why it built Cowork the way it did. The feature uses the same architecture as Claude Code, which software engineers rely on for production work -- and they wouldn't trust it if the output required constant cleanup, the company says. Cowork is intended to keep you in the loop, so you can steer. Cowork launches Monday as a research preview for Claude Max subscribers on macOS. * Anthropic says it plans to expand access and add features over time. Catch up quick: Claude Code took off over the winter, when developers and hobbyists had time to experiment with the advanced model powering Anthropic's vibe coding tool. * Anthropic says Cowork emerged after Claude Code users repurposed the coding tool for non-technical tasks, pushing the company to build a more approachable version for desk work. Yes, but: Agentic tools that can access and act on user files raise privacy and data-handling questions. * Wired's sources say that OpenAI is asking third-party contractors to upload actual work artifacts (Word docs, spreadsheets, presentations) from past jobs to help evaluate the performance of agents, with workers themselves responsible for stripping out confidential or personally identifiable information.  * OpenAI, contacted by Axios, said it had no additional comment. What we're watching: Whether tools like Cowork can change how work gets done without compromising enterprise security and privacy.

In Just 10 Days, Anthropic Built Cowork Enitrely Written by Claude Code | AIM

Anthropic has announced Cowork, a new autonomous AI agent built on Claude, designed to extend Claude's capabilities beyond chat and coding into general knowledge work. Cowork is positioned as "Claude Code for the rest of your work." While Claude Code is primarily used by developers, Cowork is designed for anyone who wants Claude to independently plan and execute multi-step tasks with minimal supervision. Unlike a regular chat interface, Cowork gives Claude ongoing access to a user-selected folder on their computer. With that access, Claude can plan work, carry it out step by step, and update files directly -- looping the user in as it progresses rather than requiring constant prompts. As examples, Anthropic says Cowork can reorganise a cluttered downloads folder, extract expenses from screenshots into a spreadsheet, or produce a first draft of a report from scattered notes. Lenny Rachitsky, host of Lenny's Podcast, said that Claude Code was able to access a folder with 320 transcripts of his podcast episodes, and pull out ten important themes, and counterintuitive truths that guests in his podcast say -- and Cowork completed the task successfully. It can also analyse locally stored meeting transcripts to answer questions, generate summaries, or prepare notes. When paired with calendar data, Cowork can create documents or reports tied to upcoming meetings and events. Cowork can also use Claude's existing connectors, which link it to external services and information sources. Anthropic says Cowork adds an initial set of skills that improve Claude's ability to create files such as documents and presentations. When paired with Claude in Chrome, Cowork can also complete tasks that require browser access. According to Anthropic engineer Felix Rieseberg, Cowork was built in just 1.5 weeks. In a separate post on X, engineer Boris Cherny said that all of the product's code was written by Claude Code. Cowork is available as a research preview in the macOS app for Claude Max subscribers While many early reactions praised Cowork as a much-needed agentic tool, one detailed review raised concerns about its user experience and target audience. Claire Vo, founder of ChatPRD, said, "I tried a few tasks on Cowork, and I'd say the outputs were [okay]." Vo said Cowork exposes too much of its internal process for non-technical users, while also limiting flexibility for more advanced ones. Despite these issues, she noted that Cowork produced better results than standard chat. Her conclusion was that Cowork currently sits in an awkward middle ground and will need to clearly commit to a specific user group to scale.

Anthropic's Cowork is a more accessible version of Claude Code - SiliconANGLE

Anthropic's Cowork is a more accessible version of Claude Code Anthropic PBC wants to make its generative artificial intelligence coding bot Claude Code more accessible with the launch of a new feature called Claude Cowork, available in preview from today. The company said Cowork is a "simpler way for anyone - not just developers - to work with Claude." To get started, all someone has to do is give Cowork access to a folder on their computer, and then it will be able to read, edit or create new files within it on behalf of users. It's a novel approach that marks a shift away from Claude Code's focus on developers, making the tool easier for non-coders to use to automate document creation, file management and other productivity tasks. Claude Cowork is currently available to Max subscribers as a research preview, and there is a waitlist for users on other plans, Anthropic said. In a blog post, the company explained that it was inspired to create Cowork due to the growing number of Claude Code users who are asking the bot to achieve non-coding tasks. Many users are treating it the same as a general-purpose agentic AI tool, and it's more than capable of being that, for it's built on top of the Claude Agent software development kit, which means it shares many of the same capabilities as Anthropic's standard foundation models. With the folder partition, users can easily manage what files Cowork is able to access, and because it's controlled through a regular chat interface rather than a command-line tool, it's far less intimidating for non-coders. . Anthropic believes Cowork paves the way for many more use cases. For instance, it said someone might use it to create an expense report from a folder containing images of receipts. Some early adopters have put Cowork to use in managing media files, scanning social media for insights and analyzing conversations. The company did warn of some risks, however. Like Claude Code, Claude Cowork is designed to take multiple actions without user inputs that explicitly command it to perform each step, and that can be dangerous if someone provides vague or contradictory instructions. Anthropic specifically warned of the risks of prompt injection attacks and Cowork's ability to delete files, and recommended that users make their instructions as clear as they possibly can. "These risks aren't new with Cowork, but it might be the first time you're using a more advanced tool that moves beyond a simple conversation," the company explained. Anthropic launched the original Claude Code back in November 2024 and it has gone on to become one of the company's most popular products. It has built on that success, launching multiple updates in recent months, introducing a new web interface in October and a Slack integration in December, but today's update makes it vastly more accessible.

Anthropic's Cowork brings developer-grade AI agents to non-coders

Anthropic expanded its agentic AI lineup with the debut of Cowork, a tool designed to bring the sophisticated capabilities of Claude Code to a much broader, less technical audience. Integrated directly into the Claude Desktop app, Cowork serves as a more accessible entry point for users who want the power of an AI agent without the need to navigate command-line interfaces or complex virtual environments. The tool operates on a simple but effective premise: users designate a specific local folder that acts as a "workspace." Once permission is granted, Claude can autonomously read, analyze, or modify files within that partition based on instructions provided through the standard chat interface. This setup provides a sandboxed environment where the AI can perform a string of actions independently, essentially functioning as a general-purpose agent. Anthropic's decision to develop Cowork was driven by user behavior; many subscribers were already repurposing the developer-focused Claude Code for non-coding tasks, such as managing media libraries, scanning social media content, or analyzing transcripts. By building Cowork on the same Claude Agent SDK that powers its predecessor, Anthropic is pivoting toward a future where AI handles complex, multi-step administrative workflows. Use cases highlighted include everything from automatically assembling expense reports from a folder of receipt photos to sophisticated file organization. Currently, Cowork is in a research preview phase and is exclusive to Claude Max subscribers, while a waitlist has been opened for those on other plans. Despite the productivity gains, Anthropic is being transparent about the inherent risks of autonomous agents. Because Cowork can take multiple actions without constant user confirmation, the company explicitly warns about the dangers of prompt injection or accidental file deletion if instructions are vague or contradictory. Anthropic emphasizes that while these risks are not new, they become more relevant as users transition from simple conversations to advanced tools that interact directly with their file systems. Since Claude Code's command-line debut in late 2024, the company has moved to integrate these capabilities into more familiar environments, including a web interface in October 2025 and a Slack integration in December 2025, signaling a clear intent to dominate the corporate AI agent market.

From Templates to Gmail, How Claude Cowork Handles Office Tasks

Wouldn't it be incredible if your office tasks could practically manage themselves? David Ondrej explains how Claude Cowork, an AI-powered application by Anthropic, is designed to make that vision a reality. Imagine effortlessly organizing files, tracking invoices, and streamlining workflows, all without needing any technical expertise. But here's the catch: while Claude Cowork promises simplicity and efficiency, its hefty price tag and certain limitations have sparked debate about whether it's truly worth the investment. In his video, Ondrej provide more insights into the features, benefits, and challenges of this innovative software, offering a balanced take on its potential to transform how we approach everyday office tasks. This guide will walk you through the key insights shared in the video, helping you decide if Claude Cowork aligns with your needs. You'll discover how its user-friendly interface and pre-built templates aim to simplify repetitive tasks, as well as the trade-offs you'll need to consider, like cost and performance. Whether you're a small business owner looking to save time or an AI enthusiast curious about its capabilities, this breakdown will give you the clarity you need to make an informed decision. As you explore the possibilities, you might find yourself questioning not just how you work, but how much of it could be done smarter. Claude Cowork is built to help you manage office tasks more efficiently, even if you lack technical expertise. Its primary purpose is to automate time-consuming activities, including: The application integrates seamlessly with popular platforms such as Google Drive, Gmail, and GitHub, making it a versatile option for diverse office environments. By automating routine tasks, Claude Cowork allows you to focus on higher-value responsibilities, such as strategic planning or creative problem-solving. Claude Cowork represents a significant shift from its predecessor, Claude Code. While Claude Code required familiarity with a command-line interface (CLI) and basic programming knowledge, Claude Cowork is designed for non-technical users. Its clean desktop interface eliminates the need for coding expertise, focusing instead on office-related tasks. This makes it an ideal entry point for individuals who want to explore AI-powered automation without a steep learning curve. By prioritizing simplicity and accessibility, Claude Cowork broadens the appeal of AI tools, allowing users with minimal technical skills to benefit from automation. This distinction makes it particularly valuable for office workers and small business owners who may lack the resources or time to learn complex software. Below are more guides on Claude Cowork from our extensive range of articles. Claude Cowork is tailored for specific user groups, making it a targeted solution for those who can benefit most from its features: These user groups highlight the tool's versatility and its potential to address a wide range of needs, from simplifying routine tasks to allowing experimentation with AI technologies. Claude Cowork's strengths lie in its simplicity, integration capabilities, and accessibility: These features make Claude Cowork a strong contender for users seeking straightforward automation solutions without the complexity of traditional software. Despite its advantages, Claude Cowork has several limitations that may affect its appeal: These drawbacks emphasize the importance of evaluating whether the tool aligns with your specific requirements, budget, and security needs before committing to its use. To maximize the benefits of Claude Cowork while minimizing potential risks, consider the following best practices: By following these guidelines, you can enhance your experience with Claude Cowork while safeguarding your data and workflows. Claude Cowork has faced criticism for its high cost and limited efficiency compared to competitors. For example, tools like Agent Zero, an open source alternative, offer similar capabilities at no cost, making them attractive to budget-conscious users. Additionally, Claude Cowork lacks some advanced features found in other AI-powered office tools, which may limit its appeal to power users seeking more robust functionality. These criticisms highlight the competitive landscape of AI tools, where users must weigh the trade-offs between cost, features, and performance to find the best solution for their needs. Despite its limitations, Claude Cowork represents a step forward in the development of autonomous AI tools for managing complex workflows. Its creation underscores the growing competition in the AI space, with Anthropic positioning itself as a challenger to established players like OpenAI. As AI technologies continue to evolve, tools like Claude Cowork could pave the way for more accessible and efficient automation solutions, particularly for non-technical users. Whether Claude Cowork is the right tool for you depends on your specific needs, budget, and willingness to navigate its limitations. However, its development signals a broader trend toward making AI more user-friendly and widely applicable in everyday office environments.

Anthropic Introduces Cowork to Turn Claude Into Hands-On Collaborator | PYMNTS.com

By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Rather than waiting for prompts typed into a chat box, the agentic Cowork experience enables Claude to read files, organize folders, draft documents and carry out multistep tasks with user consent. Anthropic described Cowork as "Claude Code for the rest of your work," a general-purpose agent built on the same underlying foundations as the company's developer-focused Claude Code tool but redesigned for non-technical, everyday knowledge work. With Cowork, users grant Claude access to a specific folder on their computer through the Claude Desktop app (initially available to Claude Max subscribers on macOS), after which the AI can autonomously read, edit, create and organize files within that folder. Typical examples include sorting downloads, generating spreadsheets from screenshots, or drafting a report from scattered notes without a user having to manually orchestrate each command, according to an Anthropic blog post. Once a task is set, Claude will plan and execute steps toward completion, the post said. Users can steer or correct the agent as needed. This behavior contrasts with classic chatbot engagements, where every action requires prompts. Cowork also uses existing connectors, such as integrations with third-party services like Notion or Asana, VentureBeat reported Monday (Jan. 12). When paired with Claude's browser tools, Cowork can finish web-based tasks that require navigating pages, clicking buttons or filling in forms. The experience is intentionally sandboxed and permission-driven. Claude can only access folders and services users explicitly designate, and it will request confirmation before performing actions that could be "destructive," such as deleting or moving files, Anthropic's blog post said. Cowork's launch reflects a broader trend in AI toward agentic models that are capable of planning and execution rather than just conversation. The shift comes as consumers show greater comfort with giving AI tools access to complete tasks on their behalf. The PYMNTS Intelligence report "How AI Becomes the Place Consumers Start Everything" found that more than 60% of consumers in the United States used dedicated AI platforms such as Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity in the past year, a sign that AI is moving to mainstream utility. For a growing share of users, AI has become a starting point for planning, learning and decision-making. At the same time, competing approaches to productivity AI are emerging. OpenAI and Perplexity have leaned into AI-enhanced browsing and search paradigms that augment human tasks within familiar interfaces, whereas Cowork embeds agentic capability directly inside the workspace of the operating system itself. Anthropic's own development process underscores how quickly this agentic era is unfolding. One engineer involved in the project said Cowork mostly built itself, Axios reported Tuesday (Jan. 13). He described a vibe coding approach where engineers sketched desired outcomes and let Claude Code generate much of Cowork's functionality, highlighting a recursive innovation loop where AI accelerates the creation of new AI tools.

Claude Cowork Quickly Turns Tasks into Results : 7 Days of Work in 15 Minutes

What if you could accomplish an entire week's worth of work in just 15 minutes? Sounds impossible, right? Marketing Against the Grain explores how Claude Cowork, a new AI-powered application from Anthropic, is making this bold claim a reality. Designed to automate and optimize workflows, this innovative desktop app is turning traditional productivity on its head. By processing tasks locally on your computer, it ensures data privacy while delivering lightning-fast results. Whether you're drowning in emails, analyzing massive datasets, or drafting complex overviews, Claude Cowork promises to handle it all with astonishing efficiency, no technical skills required. Below learn how Claude Cowork is reshaping productivity for professionals and businesses alike. You'll discover how its intuitive design and advanced AI capabilities are helping users save time, reduce stress, and focus on what really matters. From automating repetitive tasks to generating strategic deliverables, this app is more than just a productivity booster, it's a glimpse into the future of work. But is it as fantastic as it sounds? Let's explore its features, benefits, and real-world applications to find out what sets it apart. Claude Cowork is designed to make the advanced functionality of Claude Code accessible to users without programming skills. Its primary goal is to automate and optimize workflows, allowing you to complete complex tasks in a fraction of the time it would traditionally take. Unlike cloud-based solutions, this tool processes data locally on your device, making sure that sensitive information remains secure. Its intuitive interface and AI-driven features make it an ideal solution for professionals seeking to enhance productivity without navigating technical complexities. The application is particularly appealing for those who value privacy and efficiency. By using local processing, Claude Cowork eliminates the need for constant internet connectivity while maintaining a high standard of performance. This combination of accessibility and security makes it a standout option for users across various industries. Claude Cowork offers a comprehensive suite of features tailored to address common productivity challenges. These include: These features are designed to empower users by reducing the time spent on administrative tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-value activities. Whether you're managing a team, analyzing data, or creating content, Claude Cowork provides the tools needed to work smarter, not harder. Below are more guides on Claude Cowork from our extensive range of articles. Claude Cowork is particularly well-suited for professional and business environments, offering practical applications that can transform daily workflows. Here are some examples of how it can be used: These use cases highlight the versatility of Claude Cowork, making it a valuable tool for professionals across industries. By automating time-consuming tasks, it allows users to dedicate more time to innovation and strategic initiatives. While Claude Cowork offers impressive functionality, it does come with certain limitations and requirements that users should consider: These constraints reflect the tool's focus on privacy and performance, but they may pose challenges for users who require mobile access or broader integration with cloud-based systems. Claude Cowork has the potential to significantly enhance how businesses and individuals approach productivity. By automating complex and time-consuming tasks, it enables users to focus on strategic priorities rather than administrative work. Its emphasis on local processing and accessibility for non-technical users aligns with a broader trend in the widespread access of AI tools. For businesses, the benefits are clear: faster project turnarounds, reduced operational costs, and improved efficiency. By empowering users to handle tasks that would traditionally require specialized skills or significant time investment, Claude Cowork offers a practical solution for staying competitive in a fast-paced world. Feedback from early adopters underscores the tool's ability to save time and enhance productivity. Users have praised its effectiveness in handling large datasets and automating repetitive tasks, noting that it has streamlined their workflows and improved overall efficiency. However, as an experimental product, it is not without its challenges. Overviews of occasional bugs and minor usability issues are common, though these are expected in a research preview. Despite these limitations, the tool has sparked significant interest among professionals and businesses. Its potential to address real-world productivity challenges has made it a compelling option for those looking to explore innovative applications of AI in their daily work. Claude Cowork represents a promising advancement in AI-driven productivity tools. By combining local data processing, task automation, and an intuitive design, it caters to non-technical users while maintaining a strong focus on data privacy. As the tool continues to evolve, it has the potential to reshape how businesses and individuals manage their workloads, offering a glimpse into the future of productivity. For those seeking to stay ahead in a rapidly changing world, Claude Cowork provides a powerful solution to tackle complex tasks with ease. Whether you're a business leader, a data analyst, or a creative professional, this tool offers the resources needed to achieve more in less time, making it an invaluable asset in today's competitive landscape.

Anthropic Cowork: A Tool That Gives Users Claude Code Without Code

Non coders would find Cowork a welcome addition to the ecosystem that Anthropic is building since the past 12 to 18 months Anthropic on Monday came out with a new AI toolbox unimaginatively named Cowork that provides users with the ability to use Claude code without the code. In what seems to be a further simplification of the process itself, the Claude Desktop app allows users to choose a specific folder from where Claude can read or modify files. And all further instructions would continue to be delivered through the standard chat. One may call this a more accessible version of Claude code. In a blog post, Anthropic says when Claude Code released, developers used it to for coding and much more. "This prompted us to build Cowork: a simpler way for anyone -- not just developers -- to work with Claude in the very same way" is available as research preview for Claude Max suscribers on the macOS app. Simply put, the new addition allows even non-coders a chance to set Cowork up via the Claude desktop app. However, there is a glitch in that one cannot start using it right away as there's a waitlist for users of non-Max plans. From Anthropic's perspective, the latest innovation gives subscribers a better handle (watch the video) around non-coding tasks. The blog post reveals that once a folder is created, Claude reads, edits or creates files within. For example, it can re-organize downloads by sorting and renaming each file, create a spreadsheet with a list of expenses from a pile of screenshots, or produce a first draft of a report from scattered notes. "In Cowork, Claude completes work like this with much more agency than you'd see in a regular conversation. Once you've set it a task, Claude will make a plan and steadily complete it, while looping you in on what it's up to. If you've used Claude Code, this will feel familiar -- Cowork is built on the very same foundations. This means Cowork can take on many of the same tasks that Claude Code can handle," the post says. Built on the Claude Agent SDK, Cowork can draw on the same underlying code as its predecessor with the folder partition giving easy means to manage the files that it can access. This also helps Anthropic boast about security and control over what Claude can access and what it need not. It stays similar to Claude Code in that Cowork is also designed to take up a series of actions without user input, which experts consider dicey in case the tool gets contradictory instructions. In fact, the blog posts mentions this risk of prompt injection or deleted files in such scenarios, recommending that instructions are unambiguous. "These risks aren't new with Cowork. But it might be the first time you're using a more advanced tool that moves beyond a simple conversation," the post says. Since November 2024, Claude Code has become Anthropic's most successful produces resulting in several new interfaces over the past few months. These include a web interface and one for Slack integration.

Meet Claude Cowork, Your On-Device AI Helper & Browser Automation System

What if you could delegate your most tedious tasks to an AI agent that works seamlessly alongside you, handling everything from file management to web-based operations? In this breakdown, Prompt Engineering walks through how Anthropic's Claude Cowork is redefining automation by introducing a general-purpose agent capable of tackling complex workflows with surprising ease. Unlike many AI systems that rely on cloud-based infrastructure, Claude Cowork operates locally, giving users greater control over their data while integrating effortlessly with external platforms like Slack or web browsers. But with such power comes responsibility, this agent is still in its research preview phase, meaning users must tread carefully to avoid unintended outcomes. This guide offers a closer look at the new features that make Claude Cowork stand out, from its ability to automate repetitive tasks to its intuitive interface designed for accessibility. Whether you're curious about how it manages local files, performs advanced data analysis, or executes web-based tasks using logged-in credentials, there's plenty to uncover. Yet, the system isn't without its challenges, issues like bugs or the potential for destructive operations highlight the need for informed use. As you explore its capabilities, you might find yourself questioning how far agent-based systems like this could go in transforming knowledge work. Overview of Claude Cowork Core Features of Claude Cowork Claude Cowork is equipped with a suite of features aimed at streamlining workflows and enhancing productivity. These include: * Local File Access: This feature allows users to organize, analyze, and manipulate data directly from their machines, eliminating the need for external storage or cloud-based solutions. * Connector Integration: Seamlessly link with tools like calendars, Slack, and other external platforms to improve collaboration, scheduling, and communication. * Web-Based Task Execution: Perform tasks online using logged-in browser credentials, such as retrieving information, automating web interactions, or managing online accounts. * Advanced Operations: Automate repetitive tasks, conduct exploratory data analysis, and generate detailed overviews, saving time and reducing manual effort. These capabilities make Claude Cowork a versatile tool for professionals across industries, particularly those seeking to optimize time-intensive or repetitive tasks. Practical Applications and Functionality Claude Cowork extends beyond basic automation, offering robust functionality tailored to a variety of professional use cases. For example: * File Management: Users can organize files into specific directories, execute system-level commands like bash scripts, and streamline file handling processes. * Data Analysis: The tool can generate visualizations, perform statistical analyses, and create comprehensive overviews, making it particularly useful for handling large datasets or complex data workflows. * Web Operations: By using browser credentials, users can retrieve information, interact with online platforms, and automate web-based tasks with ease. This functionality positions Claude Cowork as a powerful resource for professionals in data-heavy roles, operational management, and other fields requiring efficient task execution. Claude Cowork : First General Agents from Anthropic Gain further expertise in Claude Cowork and Code by checking out these recommendations. Designed for Accessibility One of the standout features of Claude Cowork is its user-friendly interface, which has been designed with accessibility in mind. Key aspects include: * Ease of Use: The clean and straightforward layout simplifies navigation, making sure that users can quickly locate and use the tool's features. * Transparency: Real-time updates on task progress and clear displays of outputs, such as organized files or generated overviews, enhance user confidence and understanding. * Permission Management: The system prompts users for permissions and clarifications, making sure that tasks are executed as intended and reducing the risk of unintended actions. This focus on usability ensures that even individuals with limited technical expertise can use the tool effectively, making it a valuable asset for a wide range of users. Challenges and Considerations While Claude Cowork offers significant potential, it is not without its limitations. As the tool remains in a research preview phase, users may encounter certain challenges, including: * Bugs and Errors: Issues with connectors, file handling, or task execution may arise, requiring users to troubleshoot or adapt workflows. * Risk of Destructive Operations: The agent's ability to perform potentially harmful actions, such as deleting or overwriting files, necessitates careful oversight and informed decision-making. * Access Management: Vigilance is required when granting permissions, particularly in sensitive or professional environments, to prevent unauthorized or unintended actions. These challenges highlight the importance of cautious and informed use, particularly in high-stakes scenarios where errors could have significant consequences. Development and Future Potential Claude Cowork was developed in a remarkably short timeframe, showcasing the efficiency of agentic systems in addressing complex tasks. By building on the Claude Code framework, Anthropic has demonstrated how existing technologies can be adapted to meet broader user needs. This rapid development process underscores the growing potential of agent-based systems to transform knowledge work. Looking ahead, the future of Claude Cowork appears promising, with several potential advancements on the horizon: * Enhanced Usability: Ongoing refinements to the user interface are expected to make the tool even more accessible and intuitive for a wider audience. * Expanded Functionality: Broader capabilities could be introduced to address an even wider range of use cases, further increasing the tool's versatility. * Industry Applications: As agentic systems gain traction, Claude Cowork is likely to see increased adoption across various sectors, from data analysis to project management and beyond. These developments suggest that tools like Claude Cowork are poised to transform how professionals approach both routine and complex tasks, driving efficiency and innovation across industries.

Anthropic's Claude Becomes Smarter at Handling Workplace Tasks

Anthropic's Claude Redefines Workplace Productivity with Smarter Task Handling The workforce landscape has transitioned after the launch of Anthropic's Claude Cowork, a desktop-native agent that transforms AI from a basic chatbot into a proactive virtual coworker. Enabling Claude access to local folders, your system can now navigate through directories to sort messy files and turn scattered screenshots into structured spreadsheets. This evolution enables 'long-horizon' task execution, letting the AI handle complex office processes with minimal manual help for improved workplace efficiency.

Claude Cowork Anthropic's Al OS That Automates Your Life : Sort Files, Extract Data & Finish Reports While You Focus

What if your computer could handle your most tedious tasks while you focused on what truly matters? World of AI explores how Anthropic's latest innovation, Claude Cowork, is redefining productivity by transforming your desktop into an intelligent, task-oriented assistant. Imagine delegating complex operations like organizing files, extracting data, or generating overviews, all with a simple, conversational command. Designed for non-technical users yet powerful enough for professionals, Claude Cowork promises to bridge the gap between advanced automation and everyday usability. With its intuitive interface and ability to multitask seamlessly, this AI operating system might just be the productivity partner you didn't know you needed. In this feature, we'll uncover how Claude Cowork uses innovative natural language processing to execute tasks with precision and ease. From managing asynchronous workflows to integrating with external platforms like AWS, this AI assistant is packed with features that cater to a wide range of industries and needs. Whether you're a researcher summarizing large datasets or a writer drafting polished documents, Claude Cowork adapts to your unique workflow. As we delve into its capabilities, you'll discover how this system not only saves time but also enables users to focus on higher-value priorities. Could this be the future of AI-powered productivity? AI-Powered Desktop Automation How Claude Cowork Automates Your Desktop Tasks Claude Cowork is engineered to handle a wide variety of desktop tasks, allowing you to focus on higher-priority responsibilities. Whether you're organizing files, extracting data from documents, or generating detailed overviews, Cowork executes these tasks seamlessly. Its advanced natural language processing (NLP) capabilities enable you to communicate instructions without requiring any coding expertise, making it accessible to users of all technical skill levels. Here's what makes Claude Cowork stand out: * Asynchronous Task Handling: It processes tasks in the background, allowing you to concentrate on other activities without interruptions. * Parallel Processing: Cowork can manage multiple tasks simultaneously, such as extracting data from screenshots while organizing files into folders. * Natural Language Interface: You can use simple, conversational commands to delegate tasks, eliminating the need for complex workflows or technical knowledge. This multitasking capability ensures efficiency, even when managing intricate or time-sensitive projects. By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, Cowork allows you to allocate more time to strategic decision-making and creative problem-solving. Advanced Features for Everyday Productivity Claude Cowork offers more than basic automation. Its advanced capabilities make it a versatile tool for professionals and individuals alike. For instance, it can read, edit, create, and organize files directly on your desktop. If you need to extract tables from a PDF and convert them into a spreadsheet, Cowork handles the task with precision and speed. Additional features include: * Integration with External Tools: It connects seamlessly with platforms like AWS, allowing cloud-based operations and expanding its functionality. * Plugin Support: You can customize its capabilities to suit specific needs, such as data analysis, document drafting, or workflow optimization. These features make Cowork ideal for a range of use cases. For example, researchers can summarize insights from large datasets, while writers can draft and format documents efficiently. Its adaptability ensures it meets the demands of various industries, including finance, education, healthcare, and technology. Anthropic's AI Operating System : Claude Cowork Uncover more insights about Claude AI in previous articles we have written. User-Friendly Design for Maximum Engagement One of Claude Cowork's standout qualities is its intuitive design, which prioritizes simplicity and user engagement. The interface is tailored for non-technical users, making sure that anyone can navigate its features with ease. Real-time task updates and confirmation prompts provide transparency and control, making it feel like a collaborative teammate rather than just a tool. For example, if you're managing a project that requires frequent updates to shared folders, Cowork can handle the organization while keeping you informed of its progress. This approach not only enhances productivity but also ensures accuracy and oversight in your workflows. By combining ease of use with robust functionality, Cowork bridges the gap between technical complexity and everyday usability. Availability and Future Plans Currently, Claude Cowork is available in research preview for macOS users with Claude Max subscriptions. If you're not a subscriber, you can join a waitlist for future access. Anthropic has outlined plans to expand availability, aiming to make this tool accessible to a broader audience across different platforms and operating systems. As the tool evolves, additional features and integrations are expected to enhance its capabilities further. This forward-looking approach ensures that Cowork remains relevant and valuable in an ever-changing technological landscape. Real-World Applications and Potential Claude Cowork exemplifies the potential of AI to evolve into highly specialized tools that cater to user needs. Built using Claude Code, it supports plugins and connectors, allowing integration with platforms like AWS for cloud-based operations. Its applications span multiple industries, making it a versatile solution for diverse workflows. Key applications include: * Data Analysis: Analysts can use Cowork to identify trends and patterns in large datasets efficiently, reducing the time spent on manual data processing. * Document Drafting: Writers and administrators can rely on it to generate polished overviews, presentations, or summaries from raw data. * Research: Researchers can summarize findings from extensive data sources, streamlining the process of extracting meaningful insights. By handling asynchronous and parallel tasks, Cowork ensures even the most demanding workflows are managed effectively. This not only saves time but also reduces the likelihood of errors, making it an invaluable asset for professionals across various fields. Shaping the Future of AI-Powered Productivity Claude Cowork represents a significant advancement in AI technology, offering a shift from traditional chatbot interactions to a more autonomous, task-oriented assistant. Its combination of advanced automation, user-friendly design, and adaptability makes it a valuable tool for both technical and non-technical users. Whether you're managing files, analyzing data, or drafting documents, Cowork is designed to enhance productivity and simplify your daily operations. With its current availability for macOS users and plans for broader access, Claude Cowork is poised to become an essential asset in modern workflows. By integrating innovative AI capabilities with practical applications, it sets a new standard for how technology can support and empower users in their professional and personal endeavors.

Claude Cowork explained: Anthropic's new agent that is in your files

Claude Cowork only available to Claude Max subscribers right now For years, AI has been something you talk to in a chat box - a disembodied voice that can write essays or debug code but remains trapped behind a browser window. With the release of Cowork, Anthropic is breaking that fourth wall. Announced this week as a research preview, Cowork is a new agentic feature that lets Claude reach out of the chat interface and directly into the folders on your computer. Think of it as "Claude Code" for everyone else. While Anthropic's coding tools have long allowed developers to automate complex technical workflows, Cowork brings that same autonomy to general knowledge work. Instead of pasting text back and forth, you simply give Claude access to a specific folder on your Mac and tell it what to do. Also read: Elon Musk says Apple-Google AI deal is bad for all of us, here's why The core promise of Cowork is agency. Unlike a standard chatbot that waits for your next prompt, Cowork acts like a digital colleague. You might point it at a messy "Downloads" folder and ask it to organize everything by date and file type. Or, you could dump a pile of receipt screenshots into a folder and ask Claude to "create an expense report in Excel." Because it has direct read-and-write access to the files in that folder, Claude can open the images, extract the data, and generate a new spreadsheet file right next to them, all without you lifting a finger. It breaks these requests down into a plan, executes them step-by-step, and can even handle multiple tasks in parallel. Also read: Sam Altman's problem: Apple's Gemini pick for Siri disempowers ChatGPT Cowork isn't limited to just tidying up your desktop. It integrates with "Claude in Chrome," meaning it can combine local file access with web research. You could ask it to research a topic online and draft a report in a Word document saved directly to your project folder. It also supports external "connectors," allowing it to pull in data from other business tools to enrich the documents it creates. Giving an AI permission to delete or rewrite your files sounds risky and Anthropic knows it. To keep things safe, Cowork operates in a "sandbox." It can only see and touch the specific folders you explicitly share with it. Furthermore, it is designed as a "human-in-the-loop" system; for any significant or potentially destructive action (like deleting a batch of files), Claude will pause and ask for your confirmation before proceeding. However, the company warns that risks like "prompt injection" - where malicious web content tricks the AI into misbehaving - are still a concern. Users are advised to supervise the agent, especially during this early preview phase. Currently, Cowork is available exclusively to Claude Max subscribers using the macOS desktop app. While Windows support is planned, for now, this powerful glimpse into the future of agentic work is a Mac-only experience.