Anthropic has sealed its acquisition of Seattle‑based Vercept, the team behind the Vy desktop automation tool, to give its Claude model true computer‑use abilities. The move lets Claude execute multi‑step tasks on local machines, turning natural‑language prompts into actions like file handling, web browsing, and script running—all without you typing each command.
Vercept’s Expertise in Perception and Interaction
Vercept focuses on hard perception and interaction problems. Its Vy app lets users issue plain‑language commands that the software carries out on a local computer, learning from how tasks are performed. By folding this know‑how into Claude, Anthropic aims to let the model watch, learn, and refine actions across a wide range of desktop workflows.
From Natural Commands to Automated Actions
When you ask Claude to “pull the latest sales figures and update the slide deck,” the model can locate the file, run a cleaning script, adjust the presentation, and draft an email summary—all without manual copy‑pasting. This bridges the gap between text generation and real‑world execution.
How Claude Gains New Capabilities
Claude’s computer‑use feature enables it to act inside live applications the way a person at a keyboard would. It can retrieve data from local files, verify results, and generate reports, turning multi‑step workflows into a single conversational request. The integration promises a leap from static answers to dynamic, task‑driven assistance.
Real‑World Productivity Gains
If you’re a data scientist juggling dozens of notebooks, Claude could open a CSV, run a cleaning routine, and produce a concise summary in seconds. That kind of automation can shave hours off routine work, letting you focus on analysis rather than repetitive clicks.
Integration Plan and Timeline
Anthropic will wind down Vy within the next 30 days while the Vercept team joins Claude’s engineering group. The first rollout will enhance Claude Cowork, the desktop client that already supports file access and web browsing. Expect a near‑term boost to reliability and task breadth as the teams collaborate.
Implications for AI Agents
The acquisition signals that powerful language models need embodied interaction to deliver true value. By adding perception‑and‑action expertise, Anthropic raises the bar for AI assistants, pushing the industry toward agents that can both understand and act on user intent within everyday software.
