**The AI Agent That’s Actually Worth Your Time: Claude Cowork Review**
As a tech reporter, I’ve had the privilege of testing out a bunch of AI-powered agents over the years. But let me tell you, most of them have been complete busts. That’s why I was so blown away by Anthropic’s latest agent, Claude Cowork. After putting it through its paces, I was impressed by how well it worked. This AI agent can actually do stuff, like organize files, convert file types, generate reports, and even take control of your browser to clean up your Gmail inbox.
For those who might not be familiar with AI agents, they’re designed to take control of your computer, performing tasks and errands so you can free up your time for more important things. But, sadly, most of the ones I’ve tried have been a total nightmare to use, often struggling to complete even the most basic tasks. Claude Cowork, on the other hand, is like a breath of fresh air. It’s like the beginning of a new era in user experience evolution.
**How I Found Out About Claude Cowork**
I stumbled upon Claude Cowork while writing about its predecessor, Claude Code, which has a cult following among developers who love its ability to understand codebases and run instructions. But, let’s be real, most people aren’t part of some buzzy startup’s technical team. That’s why Anthropic decided to create a more user-friendly version of Claude Code, aptly named Claude Cowork.
**What Makes Claude Cowork So Special?**
According to Boris Cherny, Anthropic’s head of Claude Code, the company tried out several concepts to figure out what type of interface would work best for a less technical audience that doesn’t need to use a terminal. And that’s exactly what they’ve done with Claude Cowork. It’s designed to be more approachable for non-technical users who want to experiment with a new way of controlling their computers, but get freaked out by the command line.
**Getting Started with Claude Cowork**
Right now, Claude Cowork is only available as a research preview to subscribers of Anthropic’s $100-a-month plan. But, I was able to test it out and give you the lowdown. The process is relatively straightforward, and you can use it to work with files on your laptop, although an internet connection is required for the agent to run. The Cowork tab appears next to the Chat and Code tabs in the Claude app for macOS, and user tasks are labeled as “duties” rather than “chats.”
**Safety Concerns**
The biggest concern about using Claude Cowork is the ongoing safety threat inherent in these types of agents. Like most AI-powered tools, Claude Cowork is vulnerable to immediate injection attacks and secret messages hidden online that try to trick AI agents and deviate them from their duties. You shouldn’t expose sensitive information to a tool that can be compromised in this way.
Anthropic suggests being cautious about granting access to sensitive data like financial records, credentials, or personal information and recommends saving backups of crucial files and creating a dedicated folder full of nonsensitive data for Claude Cowork to access.
**The Verdict**
After testing out Claude Cowork, I’m stoked to see where this technology takes us. It’s a game-changer for those who want to free up their time for more important things. While there are some safety concerns to be aware of, Anthropic has taken steps to address these issues and provide guidance on how to use the tool safely.
For now, Claude Cowork is only available on Mac, but a wider rollout is potentially on the horizon. If you’re interested in trying out this AI agent, you can download the Claude app for macOS and sign up for the research preview.
