Anthropic: Claude Duet App Targets Business Automation

The AI market is crowded with assistants, but Anthropic is betting on a specific niche.

The company has launched Claude Duet, an app designed to help professionals and small businesses automate and manage tasks. It is positioned against a growing field of rivals, including Meta Muse, OpenAI Dots, Hark, Instinct, Grok Bot, and Fo.

The company is drawing a clear line between Duet and personal-focused agents. Anthropic notes that Duet is not built for handling errands like booking tickets, nor can it display its browser activity as it happens. Instead, Duet is designed to create daily briefings, generate dashboards, or suggest actions based on user data.

The app operates in the background, completing tasks on a virtual machine while the user works on other things. It will request approval when necessary. Anthropic says Duet proactively delivers recommendations while monitoring ongoing tasks.

Built on the Claude Opus 5.5 model, the app can connect to over 6,000 connectors and plug-ins available through the Claude Marketplace. It also has the capability to make online purchases for users via Stripe’s Link digital wallet or Shopify’s Shop Pay.

Sensitive actions, such as payments, require user approval. However, the app will not trade securities or move money between accounts.

Security is also a focus. Anthropic released a new classifier designed to check messages to prevent sensitive information from leaking. By default, the agent will decline requests that ask for credit card numbers or government identification.

The launch comes as the market shifts from AI assistants to agents that can work on a user's behalf. Many rivals are also targeting business use cases. While Meta’s Muse is a personal assistant, Meta released a version for small businesses with connections to other apps. OpenAI’s Dots also has a business slant through its integration with professional tools.

Claude Duet is available as an app on iOS and Android, and on the web through Claude.ai for Pro and Max customers in research preview. Users must join a waitlist to try it.