Anthropic tests Claude Duet, a proactive assistant tied to subscriber plans
Anthropic has opened a waitlisted research preview of Claude Duet, a proactive agent powered by Opus 5.5, for Pro and Max subscribers in the U.S. across mobile apps and the web. Duet connects to thousands of business tools, asks for approval before sensitive actions, and draws on the subscriber's existing usage limits for background work. The launch follows similar proactive-agent releases from OpenAI and Meta.
Anthropic's Oct. 21 preview is waitlisted and limited to U.S. Pro and Max subscribers using iOS, Android, or claude.ai. Duet runs on Opus 5.5 and retains the user's saved context, capabilities, and linked services; it operates in a dedicated virtual machine and browser, so work can continue after a phone or laptop is shut.
Anthropic advertises over 6,000 connectors, but the article notes only 13 were identified by name, all business tools. Duet requires confirmation before sending, paying, signing, or deleting; securities trading and money transfers are barred even with approval, and passwords remain hidden from it.
Proactive assistants like Duet could change how knowledge workers and small-business owners manage email, scheduling, and analysis, potentially reducing routine coordination while adding new review duties. Because background work consumes existing plan limits, heavier users may face cost or capacity tradeoffs. Approval requirements and restricted financial actions may help build trust, though reliance on agents for everyday decisions could raise questions about oversight, accountability, and digital access for people and firms without such subscriptions.