Anthropic launched Claude Cowork, a general purpose AI agent designed as a more user-friendly and accessible version of its Claude Code offering.
Currently in research preview, Cowork is built into the Claude Desktop app and enables users to designate a specific folder that Claude can access, with the ability to read and modify files.
Tasks are actioned using natural language prompts, with Cowork designed to complete the work in the background of a user’s desktop, with regular progress updates given.
Described by Anthropic as “Claude Code for the rest of your work,” Cowork is built on the same foundations as Claude Code, a model released in 2024 that proved popular with programmers.
The main difference is that Cowork is intended for less tech-savvy users.
The launch responds to a growing number of Claude Code users harnessing the agent for non-coding tasks, according to Anthropic.
“When we released Claude Code, we expected developers to use it for coding. They did — and then quickly began using it for almost everything else,” Anthropic said in a blog post on the launch. “This prompted us to build Cowork.”
Possible use cases, according to Anthropic, include assembling an expense report from a folder of receipt photos or producing a first draft of a report from “scattered notes.”
While the design is intended for ease of use, Anthropic warned of risks, especially for those who use Claude for conversations only.
In particular, the company detailed the risks of files being deleted by mistake or prompt injections — attempts by attackers to alter Claude’s plans.
To avoid such errors, Anthropic recommended 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.”
Cowork is currently only available to Max subscribers, although a waitlist is available for users on other plans.
Anthropic said it will continue to develop the agent following general release.
