Hands On With Anthropic’s Claude Cowork, an AI Agent That Actually Works

Anthropic's new Claude Cowork agent represents a breakthrough in AI assistants that can control computers effectively, unlike previous attempts by other companies. Available only to $100-per-month subscribers as a Mac-only beta, Cowork performs tasks like organizing files, managing Gmail inboxes, and conducting web searches by controlling browsers and desktop applications. Testing revealed the tool works well for basic file management and email cleanup, though it includes security risks from potential prompt injection attacks and requires careful permission settings to protect sensitive data.