Anthropic Launches Claude Duet: A Work-Focused AI Agent for Professionals

Anthropic has officially unveiled Claude Duet, a new application designed to help professionals and small businesses automate their daily workflows. The launch marks Anthropic's entry into a rapidly growing market of AI agents that go beyond simple chat interactions to actually perform tasks on behalf of the user. The app is currently available in a research preview for Pro and Max subscribers, who must join a waitlist to access it on iOS, Android, or the web via Claude.ai.

The timing of this release comes as the industry shifts its focus from conversational assistants to autonomous agents. Many competitors are already pivoting toward business use cases, with Meta releasing a small-business version of Muse and OpenAI integrating Dots with professional tools. Anthropic is positioning Duet as a serious contender in this space, aiming to rival established players like Hark, Instinct, Grok Bot, and Fo.

To understand the landscape, it helps to look at how these tools differ. While Meta's Muse is primarily a personal assistant, its business variant connects to various apps. Similarly, OpenAI's Dots leans into professional integration. Anthropic is making a clear distinction for Duet, noting that it is not designed for personal errands like booking tickets or showing off browser navigation in real-time. Instead, it is built for structured, professional workflows.

The core of Duet's functionality lies in its ability to work in the background. Built on the Claude Opus 5.5 model, the agent can run tasks within its own virtual machine while the user continues with other activities. It can compile daily briefings, create data dashboards, and suggest next steps based on the user's existing information. If the agent encounters a decision point that requires human input, it will pause and ask for approval before proceeding.

One of the standout features of Duet is its connectivity. The app can link to more than 6,000 connectors and plug-ins available in the Claude Marketplace. This extensive ecosystem allows the agent to interact with a wide variety of software tools that professionals likely already use in their daily operations.

Anthropic has also integrated payment capabilities to allow Duet to make online purchases on a user's behalf. It supports Stripe’s Link digital wallet and Shopify’s Shop Pay. However, the company emphasizes that sensitive financial actions are not fully autonomous. While the agent can initiate payments, it requires explicit user approval for these steps. Notably, Duet is not designed to trade securities or transfer money between bank accounts.

Security is a priority in this new release, particularly regarding data privacy. Anthropic introduced a new classifier that scans every message to prevent sensitive information from leaking out. By default, the agent is programmed to decline requests that ask for credit card numbers or government identification documents, adding a layer of protection against potential data exposure.

As the waitlist opens for early adopters, the market will see how Duet performs against its established rivals. The app represents a significant bet by Anthropic on the idea that business users want an AI partner that can manage complex tasks proactively, rather than just answering questions when prompted. The focus on proactivity and background processing sets it apart from the more reactive personal assistants that currently dominate the consumer space.