Anthropic unveils Claude Duet agent for connected apps in limited US preview
The new assistant is designed to flag work across connected apps and carry out tasks. Initial access is limited to waitlisted US Pro and Max subscribers.
Anthropic announced Claude Duet on October 21, a new AI agent for professionals and small-business owners that monitors connected apps and can carry out work on a user's behalf. The research preview is initially available to waitlisted Pro and Max subscribers in the United States, Reuters reported, limiting who can try the assistant as AI companies expand beyond chat-based tools.
Duet is offered as a standalone app for iOS and Android and through Claude on the web, according to The Verge. Anthropic describes it as a proactive assistant: it sends a morning briefing drawn from connected apps, then alerts users during the day when something needs attention. That design shifts some of the work of finding tasks from the user to the software.
What Claude Duet can do across connected apps
Anthropic says users can assign Duet administrative work such as scheduling meetings, as well as more involved tasks including financial or sales forecasts, dashboards and web app prototypes. The Verge reported that the agent runs on Claude Opus 5.5 and has access to a virtual machine with a browser for completing work. These are descriptions of the preview's intended capabilities, rather than a measure of how reliably it performs each task.
Reuters reported that Duet integrates with more than 6,000 connectors in the Claude Marketplace, including Gmail and Slack. It also reported that the agent can make purchases through Stripe's Link wallet and Shopify's Shop Pay. Anthropic says sensitive actions require user approval. The company acknowledged that Duet can misjudge which items are urgent and is less effective at personal tasks such as booking tickets, Reuters reported.
Who can join the Claude Duet preview
Access is being distributed through a waitlist, with invitations going out in waves, 9to5Mac reported. The preview carries no additional charge for eligible subscribers, but Duet's activity counts against their existing plan usage limits, including work it performs in the background. It is not yet available on Team or Enterprise plans; Anthropic plans to extend access to those subscriptions later, according to 9to5Mac.
The launch puts Anthropic alongside OpenAI and Meta in the emerging market for agents that work across applications. Reuters reported that OpenAI launched its always-on Dots agents last month, while Meta has introduced Muse. Business Insider described Duet as Anthropic's entry into that field; its waitlisted rollout means the product is starting with a narrower audience than a general release.
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Sources and context
- Anthropic answers Meta and OpenAI with new personal agent, Claude DuetBusiness Insider
- Anthropic unveils Claude Duet AI agent appReuters, republished by Channel NewsAsia
- Anthropic takes on Muse with Claude Duet, its new AI agentThe Verge
- Anthropic takes on ChatGPT Dots and Meta Muse with Claude Duet9to5Mac
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.