Anthropic has introduced a new generation of AI agents—Claude Code and Cowork—that represent a significant leap forward in how artificial intelligence can support and collaborate with humans in real-world workflows. These long-running agents are designed to operate over extended periods, maintaining context, learning from interactions, and autonomously managing complex tasks across multiple systems. Claude Code is tailored for software development, capable of writing, testing, and debugging code with minimal human input. It can navigate large codebases, understand project goals, and suggest improvements or refactorings while adhering to team standards and best practices. Unlike earlier AI tools that offer one-off suggestions, Claude Code can work continuously on a project, tracking changes, responding to feedback, and evolving its approach over time. Cowork, on the other hand, functions as a digital assistant for knowledge workers. It can manage calendars, draft emails, conduct research, summarize documents, and coordinate tasks across platforms like Slack, Notion, and Google Workspace. What sets Cowork apart is its ability to maintain persistent context across days or even weeks, allowing it to build a deeper understanding of a user’s priorities, work style, and ongoing projects. These agents are built on Anthropic’s latest models, which emphasize reliability, safety, and long-term memory management. They are designed to operate with transparency, allowing users to monitor decisions and intervene when needed. This balance between autonomy and oversight is critical for building trust in AI systems that handle sensitive or mission-critical work. The introduction of long-running agents marks a shift from reactive AI tools to proactive collaborators. Instead of being summoned for isolated tasks, these agents become integrated into daily workflows, reducing cognitive load and increasing productivity. Early adopters report faster project turnaround times, fewer errors, and more consistent output. As AI continues to evolve, tools like Claude Code and Cowork are not just incremental improvements—they signal a fundamental transformation in how work gets done. They point toward a future where AI doesn’t just assist but actively participates in complex, ongoing processes, reshaping the nature of human-AI collaboration in the workplace.