Anthropic unveiled Claude Duet this Wednesday (21), an artificial intelligence (AI) agent designed to organize activities, track correspondence and schedules, and keep work active even after the user closes the application.
This new feature intensifies competition in the AI assistant market, which is now focusing on tools capable of executing active tasks, surpassing the traditional function of merely answering queries. Claude Duet is being rolled out progressively in a research preview phase for Pro and Max plan subscribers in the United States, via phased invitations through a waiting list.
For eligible subscribers, Claude Duet does not incur extra costs, utilizing the usage limits already provided in the respective plans. However, Anthropic warns that since background tasks also consume this quota, users may exhaust their limits more quickly compared to normal conversations.
A fundamental aspect of Claude Duet lies in the combination of autonomous capability and the need for human supervision. According to Anthropic, the system is programmed to request permission before performing critical actions, such as sending messages, processing payments, signing documents, or deleting any type of content.
The tool also incorporates useful integrations for business contexts. For example, it can collaborate with Stripe by checking pending invoices and preparing collection reminders. Furthermore, integrations with Link and Shop Pay enable purchases upon explicit user approval.
The agent supports plugins, including features targeted at small businesses, and has the ability to suggest extensions appropriate to the requested demand. The intention is to allow the AI to progress in multifaceted processes without depriving the user of control over important decisions.
Regarding availability, Claude Duet is included in eligible Pro and Max plans at no additional charge, but its use consumes the plan's allowance, even when running background tasks. Initially, access is limited to the United States and distributed via invitations to those on the waiting list. Anthropic has communicated that the feature is not yet available in the Team and Enterprise plans, although it plans to expand this reach in the future.
This launch positions Anthropic in a fierce competition against other companies seeking to evolve AI assistants into proactive agents capable of performing work. OpenAI has already introduced ChatGPT Dots, a solution that executes background tasks, interacts with connected applications, and notifies the user when attention or supplementary data is needed. Concurrently, Meta Muse focuses on being a personal assistant capable of managing projects and tasks across various aspects of daily life.
Claude Duet follows a similar development path but leverages the existing infrastructure of memories, skills, and integrations within the Claude ecosystem. The goal is to transform the assistant into a continuous collaborator that tracks recurring demands even in the user's absence. With this debut, Anthropic reinforces its investment in sophisticated AI agents capable of managing complex workflows, moving away from the traditional model of simple questions and answers.