Anthropic pushes Claude into Excel and PowerPoint, escalating AI battle with Microsoft and OpenAI (www.businessinsider.com)

Anthropic has launched "Cowork & Plugins for the Enterprise," embedding its Claude AI directly into popular workplace applications like Excel, PowerPoint, and Slack. This integration allows for seamless AI interactions within these tools, enabling users to leverage Claude's capabilities without switching contexts or copying information between platforms. This shift signifies a strategic maneuver by Anthropic to compete with established players such as Microsoft and OpenAI, who have also integrated AI into their productivity suites. The new customizable plugins are key to this initiative, as they can be tailored for specific roles—covering areas like financial analysis and HR—and are designed to be open-source and portable, allowing businesses to modify and deploy them according to their needs. By offering these solutions, Anthropic aims to position Claude as a central operational layer across enterprise workflows, expanding its utility beyond developers to a wide range of professionals in various sectors. Notable early adopters include companies like L'Oréal and Deloitte, who are already using Claude to streamline and automate their internal processes.