Anthropic's new Claude Duet agent handles tasks while you're away, starting at the $20 Pro plan, but it needs access to your accounts and a waitlist spot.
Anthropic has released Claude Duet, an AI helper that keeps working on tasks even when you are away from your phone or computer. It arrived on October 21 as a preview. For now, anyone who wants it has to join a waitlist first.
Anthropic calls Duet an always-on agent. That means software that can act on your behalf without waiting for you to open a chat. It runs on its own virtual machine, which is a separate computer environment, and it has a dedicated web browser for getting jobs done. It can also use any apps you have connected to your Claude account.
Anthropic describes the difference this way: the Claude app waits for you to open a chat, while Duet comes to you. It tells you each morning what needs attention, takes tasks you send by message, and reaches out when one is done or needs your approval.
Anthropic says Duet will come with its $20 per month Pro plan and higher, though terms may change. That is a lower entry point than OpenAI's rival Dot agents, which currently require a Pro plan starting at $100 per month. OpenAI recently added a $500 per month option. Duet is not yet open to Team and Enterprise customers.
During the preview, Duet shares usage with your other Claude apps, including Code and Cowork. To stretch those limits, it checks your connected accounts every few hours instead of nonstop. Engadget's writer had not tested it, so it is unclear how well Duet works on a Pro plan.
Duet relies on the data in your Claude account. That includes anything the chatbot has saved to its memory and every app you connect. How useful it is will depend on how much of your digital life you are willing to share with Anthropic. For some people, that trade will not be worth it.
Anthropic is using the preview partly to learn how often Duet should message people. Details on a wider rollout have not been shared.
Before joining the Claude Duet waitlist, decide which accounts you would connect, because its usefulness depends on how much access you give.
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