Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Anthropic Launches Claude Cowork, Turning Its Chatbot Into a Desktop Agent

Early tests show practical results for everyday tasks under strict guardrails with safety questions unresolved.

Overview

  • Cowork is live as a research preview for Claude Max subscribers on macOS, priced at $100 per month with a higher‑usage tier available and waitlists for other plans.
  • The agent gains access to a user‑chosen folder to read, edit, create and organize files, plans and executes multi‑step tasks, works with browser connectors for web actions, and requires an internet connection.
  • WIRED’s hands‑on found it handled file management, Gmail cleanup and calendar updates fairly well, paused short of making purchases, and still hit occasional bugs.
  • Anthropic limits access to granted folders, asks before significant actions, runs Cowork in a virtualized sandbox, and uses prompt‑injection detection, yet risks like accidental deletion and web‑based attacks remain.
  • Analysts say the feature could pressure Gemini’s Workspace lead and niche productivity startups, with Windows support and further safety updates slated for future releases.