Anthropic has introduced Claude Duet, a proactive assistant built on Claude Opus 5.5. In the research preview, it checks connected accounts and performs tasks in the background without requiring the user to start a new chat for each job. Tasks continue running in the cloud even after the computer or phone is turned off; when human judgment is needed, the assistant requests input.
Morning briefing and ongoing work in a single conversation
Every morning, Duet compiles a summary of information from connected apps and flags items it assesses as urgent. Throughout the day, it returns to the accounts every few hours. This is not continuous monitoring: there may be a delay between a new event in one of the services and the assistant’s response.
Longer assignments can be submitted by text or voice. Ongoing updates are collected in a single conversation, where Duet adds information about work progress or new issues. It carries over memory, skills, and app connections from the existing Claude account, allowing it to build on previously saved context.
Tasks themselves are carried out by an isolated cloud-based virtual computer with its own browser. The assistant selects the necessary connected services and performs the individual steps. After completing them, it provides a report or asks the user to review the results.
Integrations for messages, invoices, and business operations
Duet uses more than 6,000 connectors. Supported services include Gmail and Slack for communication, as well as Stripe, QuickBooks, and Gusto. Integrations from the Claude Marketplace provide tools for finance, recruiting, legal operations, and sales; connected platforms also include Shopify and Docusign.
Anthropic cites sorting conversations in Gmail and Slack and drafting replies as examples of use. For financial operations, it describes finding unpaid invoices in QuickBooks or Stripe and creating reminders. According to the company, the assistant can enter work hours, bonuses, and reimbursements in Gusto and submit payroll after approval.
Other examples from Anthropic include drafting job postings and publishing edited versions on LinkedIn. The company also mentions preparing contracts and sending approved documents through DocuSign, as well as setting up and managing a Shopify store.
Sending, payments, and signatures require approval
Reading information, preparing work, and creating drafts can take place in the background within the limits of granted permissions and control classifiers. Before sending a message, making a payment, signing a document, or deleting information, however, Duet displays the proposed action and waits for approval. Securities trading and transfers between financial accounts remain prohibited even with the user’s consent.
Link, Stripe’s digital wallet, can be used for business purchases. Duet confirms the item, and Link then requests approval for the expense. The transaction uses a virtual card that conceals the original payment card number.
Login protection and limits on sharing data
According to Anthropic, passwords and login tokens remain beyond Duet’s direct access. An additional check reviews proposed steps for actions the user did not request. Browser protections are designed to detect malicious instructions embedded in web pages or messages.
Anthropic says messages are checked for leaks of sensitive information by a separate classifier together with a security system prompt. Payment card numbers and government-issued identification details cannot be shared through Duet. Sending health information or personal financial data requires an explicit instruction from the user.
Support for logging in with credentials stored in 1Password is still planned. Anthropic says these logins will also require the user’s consent.
U.S. waitlist and shared limits with Claude
Access to the research preview is available through a waitlist for Pro and Max subscribers in the U.S., at no additional cost. Duet has standalone apps for iOS and Android and is also available at claude.ai.
Background work draws from the same usage limit as regular Claude sessions. Regular account checks also consume the quota. More complex assignments, such as financial models or presentations, require more model steps and tool calls, so Pro users may exhaust their limit faster than when using chat alone.
Among the preview’s limitations, Anthropic cites the possibility of misunderstanding a conversation or incorrectly assessing urgency. Workflows are focused primarily on business operations; personal tasks, such as booking tickets, are less developed. Users cannot view the agent’s browser, and Duet remains separate from the main Claude app.
