Anthropic unveils Claude Duet, an AI agent that works across connected apps in the background

Anthropic has introduced Claude Duet, a new AI app designed to take a more active role in everyday work. It can complete tasks across connected services and spot things that need attention, without users having to start every interaction themselves.

The research preview is first available through a waitlist for Claude Pro and Max subscribers in the US. The product is a separate app for iOS, Android and the web. Access is included in existing subscriptions, and its use counts towards the same limits as other Claude activity.

Built around Claude Opus 5.5, Duet does more than a typical chatbot. It checks connected accounts, prepares work, creates reports and keeps working even when a user's laptop or phone is turned off.

The first version is aimed at professionals and small business owners. It can help with office tasks, project management, financial planning and software development.

Rahul Patil, Chief Technology Officer at Anthropic, described the change in a LinkedIn post:

"You give it real work, walk away, and it keeps going. Better yet, it’s proactive, looks around corners for you throughout the day, and comes to you with what needs your attention."

Claude Duet checks connected apps and works without constant instructions

Instead of waiting for users to make each request, Claude Duet can check connected accounts every few hours and flag things it thinks are important.

Each morning, it prepares a short update using information from a user's connected services. During the day, it can send alerts when something needs attention. Users can choose what information they want and how often they receive it.

The app uses the memory, skills and connected apps users already have in Claude. They can talk to Duet in one ongoing conversation, using text or voice, for both quick requests and longer projects.

Duet works in the background through a virtual machine with its own browser. This means it can continue tasks without the user's device being switched on. It sends notifications when a task is finished or when a decision needs the user's attention.

Anthropic says the agent can do many kinds of work, from arranging meetings and preparing sales forecasts to building dashboards, testing early ideas and creating web apps.

It also supports more than 6,000 connectors and plugins in the Claude Marketplace. These let it move between different business services while completing tasks.

For example, Duet can check missed messages in Gmail and Slack, find unpaid invoices in QuickBooks or Stripe, prepare payroll in Gusto and draft job posts for LinkedIn. It can also use HubSpot, DocuSign, Canva and Shopify to help with customer messages, contracts, marketing and online shops.

Duet does not check accounts all the time. Anthropic says it checks them every few hours because checking more often would use up subscription limits much faster.

Payments, messages and other sensitive actions need approval

Giving an AI agent access to several business accounts raises questions about how much control it should have over information and money.

Anthropic designed Claude Duet to separate tasks it can prepare by itself from actions that need the user's clear permission.

Before sending a message, making a payment, signing a document or deleting information, Duet must show what it plans to do and get approval. Some actions, including trading securities and moving money between accounts, are not allowed even if the user gives permission.

The app also has a special system that checks messages before sending them. It aims to stop highly sensitive information, such as credit card numbers and government ID details, from being shared. Other sensitive details, including health or financial information, can only be shared when the user clearly asks for it.

Patil spoke about the risks of giving an AI agent access to personal and work accounts in his LinkedIn announcement:

"Giving an AI the keys to your Slack, mail, calendar and everything else is a little scary. I know, because I did it."

Anthropic says its system for handling login details stops Duet from directly accessing passwords or sign-in tokens. Its security measures also use protections developed for Claude Code, Claude in Chrome and Claude Managed Agents.

The company says Duet has been tested by security experts trying to find weaknesses. This includes penetration testing by an outside company. Duet is also covered by Anthropic's public bug bounty program, which rewards people who find and report security problems.

For business purchases, Duet can use Link, Stripe's digital wallet, to create a virtual payment card after the user approves a transaction. Shop Pay is also supported. Connecting saved logins from 1Password is planned for a future release.

US preview starts with existing subscription limits

Anthropic has shared examples of how early testers use the app. These include preparing client briefings, spotting calendar clashes and handling business administration.

Mya Dalton, a brand strategist, described how Duet noticed that a planned client call was scheduled just before a flight and offered to move the meeting.

"I didn’t realize that it was right before my flight," she said. "I love that proactivity."

The company describes Duet as an early research preview, not a finished product. It says the app can misunderstand conversations or get the importance of a task wrong. It is also less developed at handling personal errands, such as booking tickets, than at doing work-related tasks.

The app cannot yet show users the browser it uses to complete tasks in the background.

Usage is another issue. Duet shares the limits of an existing Claude subscription. Its automatic account checks and longer tasks use those limits alongside normal Claude conversations. More complex jobs, such as building financial models and presentations, require more work from the AI model.

For now, Duet is separate from the main Claude app. Anthropic says feedback from early users will help it decide how the two products should work together in future releases.

The Claude Duet research preview is opening first to Pro and Max subscribers in the US. They can sign up through the product waitlist. Anthropic has not said when access will expand to other markets.