Anthropic reveals Claude Duet as proactive personal agent for businesses

Anthropic has released a new application called Claude Duet, entering the race to provide autonomous personal software assistants for workplaces. The tool runs on the company's Claude Opus 5.5 model and operates continuously in the cloud rather than only responding when a user opens a conversation window.

Unlike traditional chatbots that require a prompt to begin, Duet monitors connected business applications throughout the day. It gathers information from services like Gmail, Google Calendar, Slack and over 6,000 other software integrations. The system reviews incoming communications, compiles an early morning summary of urgent items, and messages users during the day only when action is needed.

Autonomous tasks in the background

Duet runs on its own virtual machine hosted by Anthropic. Because the software operates in the cloud, it continues working even when a user's phone or computer is closed.

Anthropic designed the agent to carry out multi-step office chores independently. The tool can draft replies to overdue client emails, cross-reference calendars to reschedule meetings, flag unpaid invoices, and assemble project briefs or reporting dashboards. Users can assign work through written instructions or voice notes on mobile devices.

To address safety concerns, Anthropic built in guardrails around sensitive actions. While Duet can prepare documents and draft messages on its own, it requires direct user approval before it sends an email, makes a payment, signs an agreement or deletes files.

The launch places Anthropic in direct competition with similar continuous assistants, including OpenAI's Dots and Meta's Muse. For now, Duet is available in a research preview waitlist for Claude Pro and Max subscribers in the United States, accessible via a standalone app on iOS, Android and the web. Anthropic has not yet added support for Team or Enterprise plans.

What this means for Australian businesses

For Australian small and medium business owners, Duet represents a distinct shift in how workplace automation functions. Standard chatbots require staff to remember to use them, write detailed prompts and supervise the output in real time. Proactive agents like Duet flip this dynamic by handling administrative monitoring on their own and asking for confirmation only at the finish line.

While the preview is currently limited to US accounts, local business leaders should prepare for these systems to arrive in Australia shortly:

• Audit connected permissions. Giving an agent access to your inbox, calendar and accounting records gives it a broad view of your company. Before connecting such tools, decide what data third-party software can view and verify where that information is processed.
• Start with routine administration. The most practical initial uses will be chasing overdue invoices, booking appointments and drafting status updates rather than handling customer complaints or complex financial approvals.
• Keep human approval in the loop. Always keep manual sign-off required for outbound emails, contract submissions and payments so staff catch errors before they reach clients or suppliers.