Microsoft uses Anthropic for Copilot Cowork in an effort to develop AI agents

Microsoft is adding artificial intelligence technology from Anthropic to its Copilot service as demand grows for AI agents that can perform complex tasks with minimal human involvement.

On Monday, Microsoft introduced a new feature called Copilot Cowork, inspired by Anthropic’s popular Claude Cowork tool. The technology can handle tasks such as building applications, creating spreadsheets and organizing large amounts of data with limited supervision.

The launch follows strong interest in AI agents across the technology industry. Anthropic’s tools recently drew significant attention in Silicon Valley and even triggered concerns among investors about the potential impact of AI on traditional software companies.

Jared Spataro said Microsoft’s approach focuses on security and enterprise-level data protection. He explained that Copilot Cowork operates entirely within a cloud environment and works only on behalf of the user, allowing organizations to clearly control what information the system can access.

Anthropic’s Claude Cowork mainly runs locally on devices, which Spataro said makes some companies uncomfortable due to security concerns. Microsoft’s cloud-based approach aims to give businesses more control and confidence when adopting AI agents.

The announcement comes weeks after Anthropic launched new tools for its AI assistant Claude, which raised investor concerns that advanced AI agents could disrupt many existing software services. Following that announcement, technology stocks declined, and Microsoft’s shares fell nearly 9% in February.

Microsoft said Copilot Cowork is currently being tested and will be available to early-access users later this month. Some usage will be included in the company’s $30-per-user-per-month Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription for enterprise customers, with additional usage available for purchase.

The company also announced that Anthropic’s latest Claude Sonnet models will now be available within Microsoft 365 Copilot. Previously, the service mainly relied on AI models from OpenAI.

The move strengthens Microsoft’s partnership with Anthropic and diversifies its AI offerings, especially at a time when investors have raised questions about the company’s heavy reliance on OpenAI technology in its cloud business.