Anthropic unveils Claude Duet to handle background tasks and monitor apps for paid users

Anthropic introduced Claude Duet on Wednesday as an always-on personal agent designed to proactively track connected applications and run tasks in the background. The company launched the software as a research preview powered by its Claude Opus 5.5 model, accessible via the web and dedicated iOS and Android apps. United States subscribers to Anthropic's $20 monthly Pro tier and Max plans can currently sign up for a waitlist, with invitations rolling out in waves. [2][3][4][5]

The agent operates on an independent cloud-based virtual machine, allowing it to generate daily morning briefings, draft email replies, build dashboards, and browse websites without requiring an open chat session, according to Anthropic. Connected services include Stripe for handling invoice reminders, alongside Link and Shop Pay for user-authorized purchases. Anthropic noted that Duet checks accounts every few hours to limit quota drain, but background activity still shares existing usage caps. Safety protections include a classifier meant to guard passwords and sensitive financial or health records. [2][5]

The release pits Anthropic directly against rivals such as Meta Muse and OpenAI's Dots agent, Engadget reported. While OpenAI limits Dots to its $100 per month tier, Anthropic intends to include Duet in its standard $20 per month Pro tier once it becomes generally available. The company said enterprise and team support will arrive later. [2][5]