Co-founder and Head of Public Benefit of Anthropic Jack Clark
Co-founder and Head of Public Benefit of Anthropic Jack Clark speaks during the AI and the Global Economy: From Risk to Opportunity panel at the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok on October 16, 2026. Getty Images

Anthropic has introduced Claude Duet, an artificial intelligence agent designed to handle workplace tasks in the background, sending users updates and preparing work even when their computers are turned off.

The new product moves beyond the conventional chatbot model, where users typically provide a prompt and wait for a response. Claude Duet can monitor connected applications, identify tasks requiring attention and continue working on longer projects without an active conversation.

The launch puts Anthropic in more direct competition with OpenAI and Meta, which have recently introduced their own personal AI agents as technology companies compete to make the technology a regular part of how people manage work and everyday responsibilities.

Unlike Meta's consumer-focused Muse, Claude Duet is primarily designed for professionals, entrepreneurs and small business owners, according to Anthropic's official announcement.

The company said the agent can handle tasks ranging from scheduling meetings and preparing financial forecasts to building dashboards and developing web applications.

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Duet is built around Anthropic's Opus 5.5 model and uses the information already available through a customer's Claude account, including saved context, connected applications and existing preferences.

Each morning, the assistant can prepare a brief identifying important developments across a user's workplace tools. It then checks those services periodically and sends additional notifications when it determines that something requires attention.

Users can also assign more complicated projects, allowing the system to decide which applications to use and how to complete the work. The software operates through a dedicated virtual machine equipped with its own browser. That allows assigned tasks to continue running when a user's phone or laptop is switched off.

Anthropic said the assistant currently checks connected accounts every few hours rather than continuously, partly because frequent checks consume more of a subscriber's usage allowance.

Claude Duet can be accessed through a standalone application on iOS and Android or through the Claude website. During the research preview, it shares the same usage limits as a customer's existing subscription.

The company is initially offering access through a waitlist for eligible U.S. customers on its Pro and Max plans. One of the product's distinguishing features is its integration with thousands of business applications. Through the Claude Marketplace, the agent can use more than 6,000 connectors and plugins, according to Anthropic.

Those include Gmail and Slack for workplace communication, QuickBooks and Stripe for financial administration, Gusto for payroll, HubSpot for sales management and Shopify for online retail operations. Anthropic said early business testers have used Claude Duet for accounting, customer support and marketing.

Anthropic's announcement follows a series of launches by rivals seeking to establish a foothold in the emerging market for autonomous AI assistants.

Meta introduced Muse in September, offering an assistant capable of sending emails, booking travel and carrying out longer projects using a dedicated virtual computer.

The service is available through its own app and WhatsApp, with Meta positioning it as a personal assistant for everyday users.

During Meta's third-quarter earnings call Wednesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said more than 10 million people in the U.S. and Canada had set up Muse personal agents over the previous month and a half.

OpenAI entered the market on Sept. 29 with Dots, which can work on ongoing projects, connect to thousands of applications and learn users' preferences over time.

While all three companies are developing assistants that can operate beyond a single conversation, their initial approaches differ.

Anthropic acknowledged that the product is still experimental and may misunderstand conversations or incorrectly judge which matters are urgent.

The company has not announced when Claude Duet will become generally available or provided a separate price for the service beyond its inclusion in existing subscriptions during the preview.