Anthropic launches Claude Duet, an agent app for professionals and small businesses
According to TechCrunch, the app can run tasks in the background, suggest actions and make purchases with user approval. It is in research preview behind a waitlist.
Anthropic has released a new app called Claude Duet, according to TechCrunch. Duet is an agent designed to help professionals and small businesses automate and manage tasks.
TechCrunch reported that Duet can build a daily briefing, create dashboards and suggest actions based on a user's data. It can work on tasks in the background through its own virtual machine and check back with the user when it needs approval. Anthropic says the app proactively delivers recommendations as it monitors ongoing tasks.
The company set Duet apart from personal agents such as Instinct. According to TechCrunch, Anthropic said Duet is not good at handling errands or booking tickets, and it cannot show its browser use as it happens.
The outlet reported that Duet is built on the Claude Opus 5.5 model and can connect to more than 6,000 connectors and plug-ins in the Claude Marketplace. It can make online purchases for users through Stripe's Link digital wallet or Shopify's Shop Pay. Anthropic said sensitive steps such as payments would need user approval. It also said Duet will not trade securities or move money between accounts.
Anthropic also released a new classifier that checks each message to stop sensitive information from leaking out. The company said that by default the agent will turn down requests for credit card numbers and government identification.
TechCrunch described the launch as part of a wider shift in the market, away from AI assistants and toward agents that can act on users' behalf. Many companies are aiming at business customers. The outlet named Meta Muse, OpenAI Dots, Hark, Instinct, Grok Bot and Fo as rivals. According to the report, Meta has released a version of Muse for small businesses that connects to other apps, and OpenAI's Dots also leans toward business use through its integration with professional tools.
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 have to join a waitlist to try it.
Several questions remain open. The report does not say how long the waitlist is, when the app might leave research preview, or whether it will cost anything on top of Pro and Max plans. It also does not include any independent testing of how well the new classifier or the payment approval steps work in practice.
This story is based on a single report from TechCrunch. Anthropic's statements about what the product can and cannot do have not been independently confirmed.
