Anthropic’s new Cowork tool offers Claude Code without the code

City: San Francisco: On Monday, Anthropic shared a new tool called Cowork. Cowork is a simpler way to use Claude Code. It is built into the Claude Desktop app. Users can choose a folder where Claude can read and change files. They can also give clear instructions using the chat feature. This makes it easier to use than before.

Cowork is still being tested and is available for Max subscribers. Other users can sign up for a waitlist. This tool helps users who want to do tasks without coding. Many are using Claude Code for everyday jobs. Cowork uses the same technology as Claude Code. The folder setup makes it easy to control what Cowork can see and change.

This opens up many new ways to use it. For example, users can create expense reports from pictures of receipts. Claude Code users have done things like organizing media files, checking social media posts, and understanding conversations.

Like Claude Code, Cowork can handle tasks on its own, which might be risky. If users give unclear instructions, it could lead to problems. Anthropic warns about the chance of losing files or incorrect actions. They suggest giving clear and specific commands.

These risks aren’t new for Cowork, but it may be the first time some users are working with a tool that does more than chat. Claude Code began in November 2024 and has become very popular. Because of this success, Anthropic has made more ways to use it, like a web interface and a Slack option.