Anthropic’s Claude AI has a couple of new features that aim to expand its power and reach.
In a news release published Tuesday, Anthropic announced the beta launches of a new research tool and an integration with Gmail and Google Docs. In research mode, the AI can consult a variety of sources, including the web, to research your request and provide a detailed response.
With the Google integration, you can ask Claude to analyze your Gmail emails, Google Calendar, and Google Docs files.
Also: The tasks college students are using Claude AI for most, according to Anthropic
But let’s start with research mode.
Research mode
In research mode, Claude acts as an AI agent to analyze and carry out your request by consulting different resources. Able to search the web, your own internal files, and other content, the AI looks at your topic from different angles in a step-by-step process. In response, Claude aims to deliver a detailed and thorough answer based on all the consulted data.
As an example cited by Anthropic, let’s say you’re on a lengthy sabbatical from work to hike the Appalachian Trail. You want to create an out-of-office plan to share with your colleagues and find locations with internet access so you can stay in touch with them. Submit your request with those questions in mind.
Claude consults your emails, calendar, and internal files to determine your commitments and projects at work. It also runs a web search for internet access along the trail you plan to hike.
Also: Anthropic launches Claude for Education, an AI to help students think critically
In response, Claude generates a detailed plan explaining who will cover for you and what projects they’ll handle. It also identifies spots where people will be able to reach you based on internet connectivity. You can then easily share that plan in an email with your colleagues.
The new research mode is like a lighter version of the Deep Research tool offered by ChatGPT, Gemini, and other services. Though not as in-depth or information-packed, Claude’s research mode runs much quicker and gets to the point more easily.
“Research delivers high-quality, comprehensive answers in minutes, making it practical for the multiple research tasks you tackle throughout your workday,” Anthropic said in its blog post. “It’s this balance of speed and quality that sets it apart.”
The only drawback with research mode is that it’s available only to paid subscribers of Claude Max ($100 to $200 per month), Claude Team ($25 to $30 per user per month), and Claude Enterprise (price varies) in the US, Japan, and Brazil. Anthropic is also dubbing it an early beta, which means the company is likely to fine-tune it further.
To check this out, head to the Claude website, click the Research button at the prompt, and submit your request.
Next up is Google integration.
Google integration
With the Google integration, you can now connect Claude to your Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs services. This means it can search your emails, appointments, and documents to include that information in its response, as well as analyze or summarize specific content.
For example, you can ask Claude to gather notes for a meeting from last week, point out action items from follow-up emails, and look for related documents for further details. Beyond answering your questions or generating the content you need, the AI will display inline citations so you can verify the sources.
Also: Anthropic adds web search to its Claude chatbot – here’s how to try it
The Google integration is now available as a beta to all paid Claude subscribers, including Pro users who pay $30 a month.
To set this up at the Claude website, just select the “Connect apps” button. Click each button to connect to Google Drive, Google Calendar, and Gmail. Confirm your Google account and give Claude permission to access each service. You can then ask Claude questions related to your emails, appointments, and files.
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