Anthropic Pushes AI Agents Into Business Workflow With Claude Duet

Anthropic is rolling out an artificial intelligence tool designed to automate professional and small business tasks, positioning itself against a growing list of rivals entering the market with similar offerings. The company announced Claude Duet, an application built to handle work-related duties for users.

The company is specifically targeting professionals and small businesses looking to manage their operations more efficiently. However, Anthropic has drawn a clear line between Duet and personal assistants designed for everyday errands. The company stated that the tool is not intended for tasks such as booking tickets or handling personal shopping, nor does it display a live view of its browser activity.

Instead, the application focuses on generating daily briefings, building dashboards, and recommending actions based on user data. Like other agents in the market, Duet operates within its own virtual machine to complete tasks in the background while the user is occupied elsewhere. The system returns to the user only when approval is required for specific steps.

This release comes as the technology sector shifts its focus from simple assistants to agents capable of operating on a user's behalf. Many competitors are also prioritizing business applications. For instance, while Meta's Muse serves as a personal assistant, a version was also released to support small businesses by connecting with other applications. Similarly, OpenAI's Dots offers business-oriented features through integrations with professional tools.

Claude Duet is built upon the Claude Opus 5.5 model and can access more than 6,000 connectors and plug-ins available through the Claude Marketplace. The tool can also facilitate online purchases through Stripe's Link digital wallet or Shopify's Shop Pay. The company noted that sensitive actions, including payments, require user approval, though the agent is unable to trade securities or transfer money between accounts.

Anthropic has also introduced a new classifier to scan messages and prevent sensitive information from leaking. By default, the agent is programmed to decline requests for credit card numbers or government identification. Claude Duet is available for iOS and Android, as well as on the web via Claude.ai for Pro and Max customers in research preview. Access to the tool requires joining a waitlist.