Anthropic has launched Cowork, a new feature designed to extend the capabilities of its Claude AI assistant to general office tasks. Cowork, built upon the same technology as Claude Code, allows users to grant Claude access to specific folders on their computers and then provide instructions in plain language for tasks such as filling out expense reports from receipt photos, writing reports from digital notes, or reorganizing files.

The company aims to make AI-powered task management accessible to a broader range of users, including those without technical expertise. According to Anthropic, Cowork is integrated into the macOS Claude desktop app and is designed to be user-friendly for "any knowledge worker—from developers to marketers."

Cowork represents an expansion of Anthropic's agentic tool, Claude Code, which has gained traction among software developers. While similar tasks were previously possible with Claude Code, the setup required more technical knowledge. Anthropic's goal with Cowork is to simplify the process and make it more intuitive for non-technical users.

The development of Cowork reflects a broader trend in the AI industry toward creating more versatile and accessible AI assistants. By enabling Claude to interact directly with files and folders on a user's computer, Anthropic is aiming to streamline workflows and automate routine tasks. The company demonstrated Cowork's capabilities with examples such as generating expense reports from a folder of receipt images and cleaning up cluttered computer desktops based on user prompts.

Anthropic stated that it began working on Cowork to address the needs of a wider audience beyond software developers. The company envisions Cowork as a tool that can enhance productivity and efficiency for a variety of professionals. The launch of Cowork marks Anthropic's latest effort to integrate AI more deeply into everyday work environments. The company has not yet announced specific plans for future updates or expansions of the Cowork feature.