Update
Anthropic merges Claude Cowork into the main chat
Claude's agent features are no longer a separate mode. Tasks, files and connectors now live in one conversation.
Anthropic folded Cowork, its agentic workspace for longer tasks, into the regular Claude chat on 16 September. Claude now decides when to plan and carry out a multi-step task, working with your files and connected apps.
The change is available on Pro and Max plans. Claude remains more of a work assistant than an always-on agent: it acts when you start a task rather than watching for work in the background.
What it means for you
If you mainly work with documents and research, Claude may cover what you need without an always-on agent.