Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent for Professionals

Quick Facts

• Claude Duet launched Oct. 21, 2026, as a research preview for Pro and Max subscribers in the United States, priced at $20 and $100 per month respectively.
• The agent runs on Opus 5.5, connects to more than 6,000 plugins through the Claude Marketplace, and operates on its own virtual machine even after users close the app.
• Before sending messages, making payments, signing documents, or deleting anything, Duet requires explicit per-action approval that cannot be disabled.

Anthropic opened a research preview of Claude Duet on Oct. 21, positioning the product as a proactive agent for professionals and small business owners. Unlike the standard Claude chat interface, Duet initiates contact with users rather than waiting to be prompted.

The company describes the product this way in its official announcement: "It comes to you with what needs your attention, completes tasks you ask of it, keeps working even when you step away, and checks with you before it acts on your behalf."

What the Agent Does

Each morning, Duet sends users a brief summary of priority items across connected apps. Throughout the day it monitors those apps and alerts users only when something requires attention. Task complexity ranges from scheduling meetings to building financial forecasts, prototyping software, and managing web apps.

The agent draws on more than 6,000 connectors and plugins available through the Claude Marketplace. Specific integrations include Gmail, Slack, QuickBooks, Stripe, Gusto, HubSpot, DocuSign, Canva, and Shopify.

Persistence and Background Operation

Claude Duet runs on a cloud-based virtual machine, so work continues after a user closes the app entirely. That always-on capability is the defining technical feature separating it from a standard chat session.

Anthropic caps background checks at every few hours, noting that continuous polling would consume a subscriber's plan limits faster. Background activity counts against existing Claude plan allowances, which creates a direct tradeoff between how actively the agent monitors and how much capacity remains for other tasks.

Duet shares memories, skills, and connectors with a user's existing Claude account. It can search past conversations, so users do not need to re-explain context. All interactions appear in a single ongoing thread.

Safety Controls

Anthropic draws a hard line between information gathering and consequential action. Duet can inspect data and prepare drafts on its own, but it must present the specific action to the user and wait for approval before sending a message, making a payment, signing a document, or deleting anything. Approval is per action, not per session.

Certain actions remain blocked even with user authorization, including securities transactions and transfers between financial accounts. The agent does not see passwords or login credentials when given account access. Anthropic says Duet uses a dedicated classifier and safety system prompt that checks each message and guards against sensitive data leaks.

Early Testers

Boris Cherny, who leads the Claude Code team at Anthropic, talks through his mental to-do list with Claude Duet on walks rather than saving the work for his desk. Amin, owner of Shahs of Kabob, a roughly 110-person restaurant chain in South Florida, uses Duet for financial accounting, customer support, marketing, and per-store invoice review. He said: "It integrates everything seamlessly. I no longer have to juggle over 100 browser tabs at once."

Known Limitations

Anthropic acknowledges early versions may misinterpret emails, misprioritize tasks, and struggle with personal bookings. Users currently cannot view the agent's browser while it works. The company notes that since Duet is designed for workplace use, personal errands such as booking tickets are not "quite as strong."

Competitive Context

Claude Duet enters a market that has moved fast. Meta's Muse launched last month and reached the top of Apple's App Store. On the same day Anthropic announced Duet, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told analysts that more than 10 million people in the U.S. and Canada had set up Muse personal agents over the past month and a half, with roughly 25% using it daily. OpenAI has also released a competing product in this category.

Duet is available now to Pro subscribers at $20 per month, or $17 per month billed annually, and to Max subscribers starting at $100 per month. Access is limited to users in the United States. A standalone iOS app is available alongside the web version.