Anthropic Unveils AI-Powered Computer Automation for Developers

Anthropic's New AI Coding Assistant: No More Mouse Clicks

According to Anthropics' Chief Science Officer, Jared Kaplan, the new feature would be used in coding or programming for advanced computing tasks. The AI successfully coded a basic website during the demo session. It also utilized Google Search and Apple Maps to arrange a sunrise outing. The new feature is currently available on the Claude 3.5 Sonnet model. Claude 3.5 Sonnet has received several updates this week, along with the affordable Haiku version. To ensure that the AI follows ethical use, Anthropic has integrated safeguards to avoid the misuse of the computer use feature. The company has done this to prevent spam, fraud, and election-related wrongful activities. Nonetheless, Kaplan admitted that the AI model was not perfect and would commit errors.

Anthropic releases AI to automate mouse clicks for coders

The new "computer use" feature can tell AI "where to move the mouse, where to click, what to type, in order to do quite complicated tasks," Anthropic's chief science officer Jared Kaplan said in an interview. The capability is tailored to software developers and represents a move toward AI agents, programs that require little human intervention to carry out multi-step actions. Anthropic, a startup backed by Alphabet and Amazon. com, released a pair of updated artificial intelligence models on Tuesday, along with a new capability to autonomously perform computer tasks and save users keystrokes. The new "computer use" feature can tell AI "where to move the mouse, where to click, what to type, in order to do quite complicated tasks," Anthropic's chief science officer Jared Kaplan said in an interview. The capability is tailored to software developers and represents a move toward AI agents, programs that require little human intervention to carry out multi-step actions. Researchers have touted agents as a frontier for AI development beyond chatbots, which easily conjure prose or computer code though not actions. Anthropic demonstrated a use case for the feature that entailed coding a basic website, and another that used various programs including Google Search and Apple Maps to plan a sunrise outing. Anthropic offers software developers three versions of Claude, its family of AI models, at price points that vary based on their performance. This week's updates come to Sonnet, the mid-tier model, and Haiku, the cheapest. The new 3.5 Haiku can generate computer code in a manner "almost comparable" to the version of Sonnet released in June, according to Kaplan. CEO Dario Amodei told at the time that the company intended to update Opus, the most capable model, by the end of the year. The computer use feature is currently limited to the new version of Claude 3.5 Sonnet and comes with safeguards to prevent its application toward spam, fraud and election-related misuse, Anthropic said. Kaplan said the AI still makes mistakes. Mike Krieger, a co-founder of Instagram who joined Anthropic this spring as chief product officer, said the company wants feedback from business customers to learn where to focus development of the feature. Meanwhile, a labs team inside Anthropic is exploring how to make the capability available for consumers, something Krieger said he personally wants. "I was booking flights," he said. "I really just want this to be completely automated." Microsoft on Monday unveiled an application for its clients to build their own agents that can handle queries, identify sales leads and manage inventory.

Anthropic Releases AI to Automate Mouse Clicks for Coders

SAN FRANCISCO - Anthropic, a startup backed by Alphabet and Amazon.com, released a pair of updated artificial intelligence models on Tuesday, along with a new capability to autonomously perform computer tasks and save users keystrokes. The new "computer use" feature can tell AI "where to move the mouse, where to click, what to type, in order to do quite complicated tasks," Anthropic's Chief Science Officer Jared Kaplan said in an interview. The capability is tailored to software developers and represents a move toward AI agents, programs that require little human intervention to carry out multi-step actions. Researchers have touted agents as a frontier for AI development beyond chatbots, which easily conjure prose or computer code though not actions. Anthropic demonstrated a use case for the feature that entailed coding a basic website, and another that used various programs including Google Search and Apple Maps to plan a sunrise outing. Anthropic offers software developers three versions of Claude, its family of AI models, at price points that vary based on their performance. This week's updates come to Sonnet, the mid-tier model, and Haiku, the cheapest. The new 3.5 Haiku can generate computer code in a manner "almost comparable" to the version of Sonnet released in June, according to Kaplan. CEO Dario Amodei told Reuters at the time that the company intended to update Opus, the most capable model, by the end of the year. The computer use feature is currently limited to the new version of Claude 3.5 Sonnet and comes with safeguards to prevent its application toward spam, fraud and election-related misuse, Anthropic said. Kaplan said the AI still makes mistakes. Mike Krieger, a co-founder of Instagram who joined Anthropic this spring as chief product officer, said the company wants feedback from business customers to learn where to focus development of the feature. Meanwhile, a labs team inside Anthropic is exploring how to make the capability available for consumers, something Krieger said he personally wants. "I was booking flights," he said. "I really just want this to be completely automated." Microsoft on Monday unveiled an application for its clients to build their own agents that can handle queries, identify sales leads and manage inventory. (Reporting By Kenrick Cai and Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

Anthropic releases AI to automate mouse clicks for coders

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 22 - Anthropic, a startup backed by Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab and Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab, released a pair of updated artificial intelligence models on Tuesday, along with a new capability to autonomously perform computer tasks and save users keystrokes. The new "computer use" feature can tell AI "where to move the mouse, where to click, what to type, in order to do quite complicated tasks," Anthropic's Chief Science Officer Jared Kaplan said in an interview. Advertisement · Scroll to continue The capability is tailored to software developers and represents a move toward AI agents, programs that require little human intervention to carry out multi-step actions. Researchers have touted agents as a frontier for AI development beyond chatbots, which easily conjure prose or computer code though not actions. Anthropic demonstrated a use case for the feature that entailed coding a basic website, and another that used various programs including Google Search and Apple Maps (AAPL.O), opens new tab to plan a sunrise outing. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Anthropic offers software developers three versions of Claude, its family of AI models, at price points that vary based on their performance. This week's updates come to Sonnet, the mid-tier model, and Haiku, the cheapest. The new 3.5 Haiku can generate computer code in a manner "almost comparable" to the version of Sonnet released in June, according to Kaplan. CEO Dario Amodei told Reuters at the time that the company intended to update Opus, the most capable model, by the end of the year. The computer use feature is currently limited to the new version of Claude 3.5 Sonnet and comes with safeguards to prevent its application toward spam, fraud and election-related misuse, Anthropic said. Kaplan said the AI still makes mistakes. Mike Krieger, a co-founder of Instagram who joined Anthropic this spring as chief product officer, said the company wants feedback from business customers to learn where to focus development of the feature. Meanwhile, a labs team inside Anthropic is exploring how to make the capability available for consumers, something Krieger said he personally wants. "I was booking flights," he said. "I really just want this to be completely automated." Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab on Monday unveiled an application for its clients to build their own agents that can handle queries, identify sales leads and manage inventory. Reporting By Kenrick Cai and Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco; Editing by Lincoln Feast. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Kenrick Cai Thomson Reuters Kenrick Cai is a correspondent for Reuters based in San Francisco. He covers Google, its parent company Alphabet and artificial intelligence. Cai joined Reuters in 2024. He previously worked at Forbes magazine, where he was a staff writer covering venture capital and startups. He received a Best in Business award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing in 2023. He is a graduate of Duke University. Jeffrey Dastin Thomson Reuters Jeffrey Dastin is a correspondent for Reuters based in San Francisco, where he reports on the technology industry and artificial intelligence. He joined Reuters in 2014, originally writing about airlines and travel from the New York bureau. Dastin graduated from Yale University with a degree in history. He was part of a team that examined lobbying by Amazon.com around the world, for which he won a SOPA Award in 2022.

Anthropic debuts AI agents that save coders extra keystrokes

Anthropic, a startup backed by Alphabet and Amazon.com, released a pair of updated artificial intelligence models on Tuesday, along with a new capability to autonomously perform computer tasks and save users keystrokes. The new "computer use" feature can tell AI "where to move the mouse, where to click, what to type, in order to do quite complicated tasks," Anthropic's Chief Science Officer Jared Kaplan said in an interview. The capability is tailored to software developers and represents a move toward AI agents, programs that require little human intervention to carry out multi-step actions. Researchers have touted agents as a frontier for AI development beyond chatbots, which easily conjure prose or computer code though not actions. Anthropic demonstrated a use case for the feature that entailed coding a basic website, and another that used various programs including Google Search and Apple Maps to plan a sunrise outing.

Anthropic Unveils AI Assistant That Can Navigate Computer Screens | PYMNTS.com

Anthropic has launched a new artificial intelligence capability called "computer use" that enables its AI to interact with users' computer screens. The feature, released in beta to developers on October 22, 2024, represents a significant advancement in AI assistance technology, moving beyond simple chatbot interactions to more sophisticated computer operations. The new tool allows Anthropic's AI to interpret on-screen content and, with user permission, perform various tasks such as web browsing, button clicking and text input. This development marks a shift in AI assistance technology, as it can process real-time screen activity rather than relying on back-end application integrations. During a demonstration, the system reportedly showcased its abilities by planning a morning hike near the Golden Gate Bridge, autonomously searching for trails, checking sunrise times and creating calendar invites with detailed information about appropriate attire. The release comes amid growing industry interest in AI agents that can operate with minimal human oversight. While companies like Microsoft and Salesforce have recently introduced their agent tools for workplace tasks, Anthropic's approach differs in that it focuses on direct screen interpretation rather than application-specific integration. However, the technology faces significant limitations and safety considerations. The company said the system struggles with everyday computer actions like scrolling, dragging and zooming. To address security concerns, Anthropic has implemented various safeguards, including restrictions on social media engagement, account creation and government website interaction. Developers can also add human oversight requirements and limit when the tool can access a user's computer. Several companies have already begun testing the technology, with Canva, Asana and Replit implementing it in graphic design, project management and coding. The computer use feature is currently available to developers using Anthropic's Claude technology. Alongside this release, Anthropic has introduced Claude 3.5 Sonnet, an upgraded model with enhanced coding and reasoning capabilities, and an improved version of its faster Claude 3.5 Haiku model. "Early customer feedback suggests the upgraded Claude 3.5 Sonnet represents a significant leap for AI-powered coding," Anthropic wrote in its blog post. "GitLab, which tested the model for DevSecOps tasks, found it delivered stronger reasoning (up to 10% across use cases) with no added latency, making it an ideal choice to power multi-step software development processes. Cognition uses the new Claude 3.5 Sonnet for autonomous AI evaluations, and experienced substantial improvements in coding, planning, and problem-solving compared to the previous version. The Browser Company, in using the model for automating web-based workflows, noted Claude 3.5 Sonnet outperformed every model they've tested before."

Anthropic's New AI Tool Analyzes Your Screen and Acts on Your Behalf

Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic is releasing a new tool that can understand what's happening on a user's computer screen and complete a range of online tasks for them -- the latest example of tech companies expanding from chatbots that offer pithy responses to so-called AI agents that can act on a person's behalf. The new capability, called "computer use," can interpret what a user is seeing on their computer and -- with permission -- take actions for them by browsing the web, clicking buttons and typing, Anthropic said Tuesday. The company is releasing a beta version to developers using its Claude technology, after testing the service with a limited set of enterprise customers in recent weeks. A growing number of AI companies are investing in building agents that field tasks for users with minimal human supervision, an attempt to fulfill the promise of artificial intelligence to radically increase productivity in our personal and professional lives. On Monday, Microsoft Corp. launched a set of agent tools designed to send emails and manage records for workers. Salesforce Inc. touted its enterprise agent apps for customer service at its Dreamforce event last month. Anthropic is taking a different approach than many other companies have with agent tools. Rather than integrate with various applications on the backend, its technology can process what's happening on a user's computer screen in real time. The company said this method creates a more intuitive experience. "It's going to be the first model ever to be able to use a computer the way that people do," Jared Kaplan, co-founder and chief science officer at Anthropic, said in an interview with Bloomberg News. In a pre-recorded demo, an Anthropic employee used the tool to figure out the logistics of taking a friend for a morning hike with views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Anthropic's AI agent was able to search on Google to find hikes, map a route, check the sunrise time and send a calendar invite with details including what kind of clothing to wear -- all with no human input beyond an initial prompt. Anthropic has positioned itself as a safety-conscious AI company, but the new tool might invite added scrutiny. Technology that can access a user's screen activity comes with heightened safety and security concerns. When Microsoft, for example, unveiled its AI-enabled "Recall" feature that created a record of everything users do on their computers, a backlash ensued over worries that the software could be vulnerable to hacking. It ended up relaunching the product with security upgrades.

Amazon-backed Anthropic debuts AI agents that can do complex tasks, racing against OpenAI, Microsoft and Google

Dario Amodei, co-founder and CEO of artificial intelligence startup Anthropic. Anthropic, the Amazon-backed AI startup founded by former OpenAI research executives, announced Tuesday that it's reached an artificial intelligence milestone for the company: AI agents that can use a computer to complete complex tasks like a human would. Anthropic is the company behind Claude -- one of the chatbots that, like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, has exploded in popularity. Startups like Anthropic, alongside tech giants such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta, are all part of a generative AI arms race to ensure they don't fall behind in a market predicted to top $1 trillion in revenue within a decade. Anthropic's new Computer Use capability, part of its two newest AI models, allows its tech to interpret what's on a computer screen, select buttons, enter text, navigate websites and execute tasks through any software and real-time internet browsing. The tool can "use computers in basically the same way that we do," Jared Kaplan, Anthropic's chief science officer, told CNBC in an interview, adding that it can do tasks with "tens or even hundreds of steps." Amazon had early access to the tool, Anthropic told CNBC, and early customers and beta-testers included Asana, Canva and Notion. The company has been working on the tool since early this year, according to Kaplan. Anthropic released the feature Tuesday in public beta for developers. The team hopes to open up use to consumers and enterprise clients over the next few months, or early next year, per Kaplan. Anthropic said that future consumer applications include booking flights, scheduling appointments, filling out forms, conducting online research and filing expense reports. "We want Claude to be able to actually assist people with all sorts of different kinds of work, and we think the chatbot setup is fairly limited because you can ask a question and [get] context but it stops there," Kaplan told CNBC.