[DigitalToday reporter Chi-gyu Hwang] Anthropic has unveiled Cowork, a simplified version of Claude Code, TechCrunch reported on Jan. 12.
Built into the Claude desktop app, Cowork lets an AI read and edit files in a user-specified folder. Additional instructions can be delivered through a standard chat interface. It is similar to the sandbox version of Claude Code, but the setup is much simpler.
Cowork is currently in a research preview stage and is available only to Max subscribers, while other users can join a waiting list. Anthropic said Cowork is based on the Claude agent SDK and works without command-line tools or virtual environment setup, making it easy for non-technical users to use.
Cowork can be used for tasks such as compiling photos of receipts to create expense reports, organizing media files and scanning social media posts. But because it is designed to carry out continuous tasks without user input, vague instructions could pose risks such as file deletion. Anthropic recommended providing clear guidance to prevent this.
Chi-gyu Hwang
delight@d-today.co.kr