Anthropic introduces Claude Cowork for AI agents

Anthropic released Claude Cowork as a research-preview feature in the Claude macOS app that lets Claude access a user folder to read, edit, or create files; it is currently available to Claude Max subscribers and Anthropic warned of safety risks, including possible file deletion and prompt injection attacks.

Anthropic has launched a feature called Claude Cowork as a research preview aimed at expanding Claude's agent capabilities beyond coding tasks. The feature is available through the Claude macOS app for Claude Max subscribers. Cowork allows Claude to access a folder on a user's computer so it can read, edit, and create files while providing regular progress updates. Anthropic describes the release as a way to learn how people use agents and to continue improving the system. Key details: - Availability: Cowork is offered in the macOS app and limited to Claude Max subscribers; other users can join a waitlist. - Function: When granted access to a folder, Claude can reorganize files, generate spreadsheets from screenshots, or draft reports from notes, among other file-based tasks. - Integrations: Users can connect existing connectors for services like Asana, Notion, and PayPal, and link Claude in Chrome for browser tasks. - Purpose: Anthropic released Cowork as a research preview to observe usage patterns and guide future development. - Safety notes: Anthropic warned that unclear instructions can lead to potentially destructive actions (including deleting local files) and flagged prompt injection as a relevant risk. Summary: Claude Cowork extends Claude toward more hands-off, file-based assistance and is being tested with power users to gather feedback. Undetermined at this time.