Overview
- Anthropic expanded Cowork from the $100-plus Max tier to Claude Pro subscribers, noting Pro users may reach usage limits sooner and adding updates such as task renaming, clearer file previews, more reliable connectors and delete confirmations.
- Cowork can be granted access to a chosen local folder to read, edit or create files and autonomously plan and execute multi-step tasks, with optional browser and app connectors for research, email and document workflows.
- The agent runs in a VM-based sandbox using Apple’s virtualization to confine access to designated directories, and it orchestrates work with Anthropic’s Skills framework and parallel sub-agents to handle longer, more complex jobs.
- Anthropic warns of real risks including file deletion and prompt injection, offers permission checks for significant actions, and early tests showed Cowork pausing before high-risk steps like completing a ticket purchase.
- Windows and cross-device support are planned, reporters note competitive pressure on startups and OS-level assistants such as Microsoft Copilot, and Anthropic engineers say Cowork was built rapidly using Claude Code.