Anthropic Unveils Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent for Professionals and Small Businesses

Anthropic announced on October 21 a research preview of Claude Duet, a new app in which Claude acts as a proactive agent. Instead of waiting for a command, it reaches out with items that need the user's attention, and it carries out tasks in the cloud, without access to the user's local computer.

According to Anthropic, as cited by MacRumors, Duet was built for professionals and small business owners who have too much to keep track of. The product is Anthropic's answer to competing agents: Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots.

How the agent works

Duet connects to the user's apps and points out items that need attention. Each morning it sends a short brief on the most important items from connected apps, then checks them again every few hours and sends an alert when something comes up.

The agent runs in the cloud, so it does not need access to a local computer. It works on a virtual machine with its own browser. According to MacRumors, it can handle both simple administrative tasks and bigger jobs, such as building web apps.

Everything happens in one ongoing thread rather than in separate conversations. Duet draws on the memory, skills and connected apps from the user's Claude account, so setup is meant to be minimal.

Approvals and safeguards

Before sending a message, making a payment, signing a document or deleting a file, the agent asks for approval. Computerworld.pl stresses that critical operations, such as payments or document transfers, still require human consent.

When given access to accounts, Duet does not see passwords or logins. In addition, a classifier and a dedicated safety system prompt review messages to prevent leaks of sensitive information. Computerworld.pl links these mechanisms to compliance requirements, including NIS2 and GDPR.

Availability and limitations

This is a research preview product. Access is through a waitlist and limited to Pro and Max subscribers in the United States. The sources give no separate pricing beyond the use of plan limits, nor a date for a wider or international rollout.

Computerworld.pl describes the reaction in the tech community as mixed: some praise relief from routine operations, while others warn of excessive automation and a loss of control over decisions.

What it means for Poland

For users in Poland, Duet remains out of reach for now, since access is limited to the US. The launch does show a direction, though: major AI providers are moving into agents that work in the background and initiate contact themselves, rather than just answering questions.