Agents: Anthropic's New Play

The market is crowded with AI assistants launching every week, and Anthropic is entering the fray with a new tool aimed at automating professional workflows. The company announced Claude Duet, an agent application designed to rival offerings like Meta Muse, OpenAI Dots, Hark, Instinct, Grok Bot, and Fo. While the sector is flooded with personal productivity helpers, Anthropic is positioning this specific release for a different user base.

The core claim behind the software is its utility for professionals and small businesses. Anthropic draws a sharp line between this tool and personal agents such as Instinct, explicitly stating that Duet is not designed to handle errands, book tickets, or display its browser activity in real-time. Instead, the application focuses on generating daily briefings, creating dashboards, and suggesting actions based on user data. It can also execute tasks in a background virtual machine, returning to the user only when approval is required.

This launch arrives as the technology market shifts from simple assistants to agents capable of working on a user's behalf. Many competitors are also pivoting toward business use cases. While Meta's Muse began as a personal assistant, the company has released a version catering to small businesses with connections to other apps. Similarly, OpenAI's Dots is built with a business slant, integrating with professional tools.

Anthropic states that Duet proactively delivers recommendations while monitoring ongoing tasks. The tool is built on the Claude Opus 5.5 model and connects to over 6,000 connectors and plug-ins within the Claude Marketplace. For transactional capabilities, the agent can make online purchases on a user's behalf using Stripe's Link digital wallet or Shopify's Shop Pay, though sensitive steps like payments will always require user approval.

There are strict boundaries regarding financial actions. The system is designed to refuse requests asking for credit card numbers or government identification by default, and it will not trade securities or move money between accounts. Anthropic has also released a new classifier intended to check every message to prevent sensitive information from leaking out.

Access to the tool is currently limited. It is available as an app on iOS and Android, and on the web through Claude.ai for Pro and Max customers in a research preview. Users interested in trying the application must join a waitlist.