Anthropic has launched Claude Duet, a proactive AI agent now in research preview on Android, iOS, and the web. Powered by Claude Opus 5.5, Duet is designed for professionals and small business owners juggling multiple projects. Unlike traditional chatbots, it doesn't need an open chat window. It runs inside its own virtual machine, so it keeps working in the background even when you aren't there.
Every morning, Duet gives a rundown of the important items from connected apps, then checks throughout the day and alerts you when something needs attention. Users can assign it tasks such as scheduling meetings, building dashboards, preparing financial and sales forecasts, and prototyping web apps. The agent is built to judge what deserves your attention and to ask permission before acting.
Privacy is a central concern given its access to work messages and sensitive information. Anthropic says Duet does not directly access passwords or sign-in tokens and has safeguards against sharing highly sensitive data such as credit card numbers and government IDs. The company also says it tested the system for security.
Duet is not ready to run your whole life. Anthropic acknowledges the first version can be overly enthusiastic, and personal tasks like booking tickets are not its best fit. It also cannot yet show users its browser, making its background actions hard to see. The launch puts Anthropic alongside Meta Muse and OpenAI Dots in the growing field of AI agents. Currently available only in the US via a waitlist, Duet requires a Claude Pro or Max subscription and shares usage limits with the rest of Claude, with background work counting toward them.
Source: Android Central · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing