As backlash against artificial intelligence and protests opposing data centres make headlines, Anthropic has rolled out a new feature that subtly tries to persuade users why they should keep using Claude.

Foreign media including tech outlet TechCrunch reported on July 9 that Anthropic unveiled Reflect, an in-app dashboard that tracks and visualises Claude usage patterns and overall AI habits. On the surface, it is closer to an analytics tool that shows which topics users have mainly covered, their overall usage patterns and which tasks drew the most help from AI.

But Reflect's practical purpose is to change how users view AI itself. It does so by framing Claude as a productivity tool frequently used for work and part of everyday workflow, while also positioning it as a technology that can be used carefully.

Claude Reflect does not quantify how much time users have saved by changing how they work with AI. Still, seeing a clear summary of tasks Claude helped with could make users more likely to accept Claude as a tool they have already come to rely on and a presence embedded deep in daily life.

At the same time, Anthropic encourages users to check their own AI use. Reflect sometimes displays questions such as, "What is one thing you still want to do yourself, even if Claude could do it faster?"

Anthropic said the app also includes features to set quiet time or schedule reminders to pause AI use for a while. It is a measure that takes into account the potentially addictive nature of AI chatbots that constantly answer questions and keep prompting follow-up conversations.

This is not the first attempt to subtly shift consumer perceptions by adding analytics features. In 2012, Google introduced a utility called Gmail Meter that analysed inboxes and showed traffic patterns, pie charts by email type and data volume compared with archived mail. Some tech enthusiasts found it interesting to look at such data, but it also served to show in numbers and charts that Gmail sat at the centre of people's digital lives.

Claude's Reflect plays a similar role and goes a step further. It also teaches users how to make better use of AI. For example, it may suggest using the "Projects" feature rather than re-explaining work context for each repetitive task. From Anthropic's perspective, the more users integrate daily work with Claude, the more it can keep users and curb switching to rival services.

There are limits on the scope of personal data handling. Anthropic said sensitive conversations may appear in Reflect, but only as high-level summaries. Conversations linked to health integration tools are excluded from insights, and the company said data displayed in Reflect is not used for other purposes.

Reflect is currently available in beta for free, Pro and Max users who have memory turned on. Anthropic plans to later add a time view feature that shows how long users actually stayed on Claude.