Anthropic Launches Cowork: Claude Code for Everyone, No Terminal Required
Anthropic has announced Cowork, a new feature that brings the power of Claude Code to non-technical users. Described as “Claude Code for the rest of your work,” Cowork is now available in research preview for Max subscribers on macOS.
What is Cowork?
Cowork is built into the Claude Desktop macOS app, providing a more accessible version of Claude Code without requiring command-line knowledge. Users simply designate a folder where Claude can read, edit, or create files, then interact through the standard chat interface.
Key Features
- Folder-based access: Grant Claude access to specific folders for file operations
- No terminal required: Works through the familiar chat interface
- Same underlying technology: Built on Claude Agent SDK, the same foundation as Claude Code
- Sandboxed environment: Easy file access management for security
Origin Story: Built with Claude Code
According to Anthropic engineer Boris Cherny, the team built the entire Cowork feature in approximately a week and a half, largely using Claude Code itself. The inspiration came from observing how developers were using Claude Code for non-coding tasks.
“Users were forcing the coding tool to perform non-coding labor,” Cherny noted, revealing the demand for a more general-purpose agentic tool.
A General Agent in Disguise
As tech commentator Simon Willison observed, Claude Code has always been “a general agent disguised as a developer tool.” Cowork removes that disguise, offering the same agentic capabilities without intimidating technical barriers.
Willison predicts: “I would be very surprised if Gemini and OpenAI don’t follow suit with their own offerings in this category.”
Availability
- Current access: Max subscribers ($100 or $200/month plans)
- Platform: macOS only (via Claude Desktop app)
- Status: Research preview
- Other users: Can join a waitlist
Competitive Implications
The launch positions Anthropic to compete not just with OpenAI and Google in conversational AI, but with Microsoft’s Copilot in the productivity tools market. While Microsoft has pushed Copilot for nearly three years with limited adoption, Anthropic’s approach of evolving from a beloved developer tool may give it an advantage.
Safety Considerations
Anthropic notes in its documentation: “These risks aren’t new with Cowork, but it might be the first time you’re using a more advanced tool that moves beyond a simple conversation.”
The folder-based permission system provides a clear security boundary, limiting what files the AI can access.