Anthropic Introduces Claude Cowork, Enters the Healthcare and Sciences Field

Anthropic is debuting Claude Cowork, a way for anyone, not just developers, to work with with code. Cowork is available now as a research preview for Claude Max subscribers on its macOS app.

According to Anthropic, Cowork gives users Claude access to a folder of their choosing on their computer. Claude can then read, edit, or create files in that folder. It can, for example, reorganize downloads by sorting and renaming each file, create a new spreadsheet with a list of expenses from a pile of screenshots, or produce a first draft of a report from scattered notes. In Cowork, Claude completes work like this with much more agency than seen in a regular conversation.

Once a task is set, Claude will plan and steadily complete it, while looping a user in on what it’s up to. Claude can use existing connectors, which link Claude to external information, and in Cowork Anthropic has added an initial set of skills that improve Claude’s ability to create documents, presentations, and other files. If Cowork is paired with Claude in Chrome, Claude can complete tasks that require browser access, too.

Cowork is designed to make using Claude for new work as simple as possible. It feels much less like a back-and-forth and much more like leaving messages for a coworker, the company said.

In Cowork, users can choose which folders and connectors Claude can see: Claude can’t read or edit anything users don’t give it explicit access to. Claude will also ask before taking any significant actions, so users can steer or “course-correct” it as needed.

This is a research preview and Anthropic is encouraging users to experiment with what Cowork can do and to try unexpected things, the company said.

In addition to this preview, Anthropic has also entered the healthcare space with Claude for Healthcare.

Claude for Healthcare, a complementary set of tools and resources that allow healthcare providers, payers, and consumers to use Claude for medical purposes through HIPAA-ready products.

Second, the company is adding new capabilities for life sciences: connecting Claude to more scientific platforms, and helping it provide greater support in areas ranging from clinical trial management to regulatory operations.

Connectors are tools that allow users to give Claude access to other platforms directly. For payers and providers, there are several added connectors that make healthcare information easier to find, access, and understand. These allow Claude to pull information from industry-standard systems and databases, meaning that clinicians and administrators can save significant time finding the data and generating the reports they need.

For more information about this news, visit www.anthropic.com.