Anthropic Releases Research Preview of Claude Duet, a Persistent Autonomous AI Agent
Anthropic has launched Claude Duet, an autonomous AI agent based on Opus 5.5 that continues tasks in the cloud when users are away, featuring strict financial and data operation guardrails.
US artificial intelligence company Anthropic announced the research preview of Claude Duet on October 21. This persistent autonomous AI agent is built on the Claude Opus 5.5 model and is designed to handle complex tasks even when users step away from their devices. The feature is currently available only to US subscribers on Pro and Max plans via a waitlist, with Team and Enterprise plans excluded for now.
The core capability of Claude Duet lies in its ability to operate independently of local hardware. It runs within a cloud-based virtual environment, continuing to execute tasks such as scheduling meetings, building dashboards, and generating financial forecasts even if the user's PC or smartphone is powered off. The system checks linked accounts periodically and notifies users upon task completion or when a decision is required. It supports over 6,000 connectors and plugins, assisting with drafting Gmail replies or reviewing unpaid invoices in QuickBooks.
To mitigate risks, Anthropic has implemented strict operational boundaries. The agent requires explicit user approval before sending messages, making payments, signing documents, or deleting data. High-risk actions such as securities trading or transferring funds between accounts are prohibited entirely, even with user consent. As this remains a research preview, the company acknowledges potential errors in interpreting conversation context or assessing urgency, noting that background verification processes also count against usage limits.