Anthropic, a startup backed by Alphabet and Amazon.com, has released an updated version of its artificial intelligence models along with a new capability to autonomously perform computer tasks. The latest feature allows AI to control mouse clicks, enabling developers to automate complex tasks more efficiently.
According to Jared Kaplan, Anthropic’s Chief Science Officer, the “computer use” feature can guide AI in performing intricate actions such as moving the mouse and clicking on specific elements within software applications. This capability is tailored for software developers who require minimal human intervention to carry out multi-step actions.
Anthropic demonstrated a use case where the new feature was used to code a basic website and another scenario that involved using various programs, including Google Search and Apple Maps, to plan a sunrise outing. The company offers three versions of Claude, its family of AI models: Sonnet (mid-tier), Haiku (cheapest), and Opus (most capable).
The latest update includes the release of Claude 3.5 Haiku, which can generate computer code almost comparably to the version of Sonnet released in June. CEO Dario Amodei had previously stated that the company intended to update Opus by the end of the year.
The new feature is currently available with the updated version of Claude 3.5 Sonnet and comes equipped with safeguards to prevent misuse for spam, fraud, and election-related activities. Kaplan noted that while the AI still makes mistakes, it represents a significant step forward in automation capabilities.
Mike Krieger, co-founder of Instagram and Anthropic’s chief product officer, emphasized the importance of feedback from business customers to guide further development of the feature. He also mentioned that an internal labs team is exploring how to make this capability available for consumers.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has unveiled an application for its clients to build their own agents capable of handling queries, identifying sales leads, and managing inventory. This highlights a growing trend in AI development aimed at simplifying complex tasks for users across various industries.