Anthropic's Claude Cowork, an AI tool designed to handle basic computer operations, can now be accessed by holders of its $20 monthly Pro plan. Initially introduced exclusively for Max plan users, who commit to at least $100 per month for enhanced access to Claude's advanced reasoning capabilities and priority testing of new tools, the feature has been extended to a more affordable tier. However, Anthropic cautions that Pro subscribers might reach their usage caps sooner compared to Max members.
Similar to various AI agents, Claude Cowork stands out for its independent operation capabilities. With the macOS version of the Claude application and a Pro subscription, users can instruct the tool to manage local tasks, such as generating files from existing documents or sorting directories. This development builds on Claude Code, Anthropic's specialized coding assistant, and incorporates integrations along with the Claude browser extension to interact with external software and online resources.
In conjunction with this wider release, Anthropic has implemented several improvements based on initial user input. Users can now customize the names of their Claude Cowork sessions, referred to as 'Tasks' within the app, while the AI provides enhanced previews for different file types, more dependable connections to third-party applications, and alerts prior to removing any files.
Over the past year, AI-driven coding tools have emerged as one of the most successful uses of the technology, prompting Anthropic to leverage insights from Claude Code for broader desktop activities. Currently restricted to macOS users and those on paid plans, Claude Cowork's future could involve availability on additional operating systems if it maintains strong user interest.