The AI Desktop Race Reaches Microsoft as Anthropic Launches Cowork

Anthropic has launched Cowork, a new AI tool that can run tasks across many apps on a computer. The launch has drawn close attention inside Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), where leaders now see Cowork as a new point of pressure on Microsoft 365 Copilot.

According to some insider reports, some Microsoft teams felt Cowork could handle tasks that Copilot cannot yet complete on its own. For example, Cowork can sort files, turn images into Excel sheets, and build PowerPoint slides by working across apps like a human user.
As a result, managers urged teams to keep improving Copilot at a faster pace. Anthropic has said Cowork is still an early product and warned users of “unique risks” tied to data safety. The tool is also limited to Mac systems and costs about $100 to $200 per month, which keeps it far from wide business use for now.

Meanwhile, MSFT shares dropped slightly on Friday, closing at $430.29.

Microsoft Leans on Windows and Scale

Even so, the release has added urgency inside Microsoft. Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella told staff he has been testing Clawdbot, a similar AI tool that can manage email, files, and travel tasks. He encouraged teams to explore how such tools could fit into Microsoft products.

At the same time, Microsoft leaders believe they hold a key edge through Windows and its wide business reach. Cowork does not yet run on Windows, while Microsoft can build AI tools deep into its system and Office apps. Microsoft also works with both OpenAI and Anthropic, which gives it more options as AI tools evolve.

For investors, Cowork does not pose a near-term risk to Microsoft revenue. However, it does show that AI tools are moving beyond chat and into daily work tasks. Over time, this shift may push Microsoft to speed up Copilot features, which could support long-term growth if adopted at scale.

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