Anthropic Launches Claude Duet AI Agent to Rival Meta and OpenAI
Anthropic has released a research preview of Claude Duet, an autonomous AI agent built on Claude Opus 5.5 that runs background tasks 24/7 across devices. The application is available as standalone apps on iOS and Android as well as on the web via claude.ai. This launch marks a major industry shift from passive chat interfaces to proactive, autonomous AI assistants that manage workflows while users are away. It sets up a direct competitive clash with similar offerings from tech giants like Meta and OpenAI. Claude Duet features dedicated virtual machines and browsers to handle complex tasks by integrating with over 6,000 marketplace connectors. Safety measures require explicit user approval before executing sensitive actions like sending messages, making payments, or signing documents.
## BACKGROUND
AI agents are advanced artificial intelligence systems designed to operate autonomously, executing multi-step workflows, using external tools, and running tasks in the background without requiring continuous human prompting. Unlike traditional chatbots that only respond synchronously to direct queries, background agents can monitor systems, process scheduled jobs, and interact with various software services on behalf of the user.