Claude Code Explained: AI Tool Causing Tech Buzz

if it feels like the tech people in your life and on your timeline have collectively lost their minds – but, like, more than usual – that’s just the Claude Code experiance at work.

Now if you know what I’m talking about, you’re either vibe coding so hard you’re about to dissolve into a digital rapture or you’re in a cold sweat and drafting your “I, for one, welcome our AI overlords” email.

But if you think Claude Code sounds like a New York Times word game you haven’t gotten around to trying out, this FAQ is for you.

Okay, so, what is it?

Right, you know how chatbots…chat? As in, write to you, talk to you, compose your collage papers? Claude Code, which comes from the AI company Anthropic, is an AI tool that can actually do things with your computer. Actually, manny of the things you can do with your computer.(Well, not you, if you’re the target audience for this FAQ, but someone who is an expert programmer who never sleeps, never says no, and works at an impressive speed.)

Do…like what things?

Honestly, it’d be easier to list the things it can’t do with a computer. But an incomplete rundown of what users have accomplished with Claude Code would include: a Spotify Wrapped program but for text messages; personalized daily briefs that pull in emails, newsletters, and more; a Pokémon card management system; a personal DNA analyzer; and a “cyberpunk” tetris game. You will need at least a

In the best-case scenario, it closes the loop, mostly on its own: plan → change → check → fix. That’s why people who build software for a living are acting like they’ve been freed from a thousand tiny paper cuts.

But I would like to keep my files. Ideally all of them. In their current state of existence.

Smart person. Claude Code is agentic-ish, meaning it can carry out tasks with little to no supervision, and as any manager knows, the benefits of an agent (“it can act autonomously!”) are also the drawbacks of an agent (“oh no, it just acted autonomously!”).

So if you start messing around with it, be sure to be very, very explicit in your directions – like, “do not delete anything.I really mean this.” (fortunately, by default Claude Code still taps you on the shoulder before anything irreversible.) Its sort of like parenting a 5-year-old with superpowers.

Also, keep backups of anything vital. But obviously you already do that.

Uh,sure…moving on,I understand why this is such a big deal for programmers. But does it really matter for the rest of us?

Sure does! As Future Perfect contributing editor Dylan Matthews wrote last year – borrowing a phrase from AI writer/investor Leopold Aschenbrenner – the scary endgame is “drop-in remote workers.”

Anthropic Expands Access to Claude 3 Coworker

Anthropic broadened access to its Claude 3 Coworker AI model on January 12,2024,making it available to subscribers of the $20 per month Pro plan. Previously, coworker was exclusive to Max accounts priced at $100 per month.

The Claude 3 family, launched on March 7, 2024, includes three models: Haiku, Sonnet, and Opus. Coworker utilizes the Sonnet model. According to Anthropic’s official announcement, Sonnet balances speed and intelligence, performing at near-human levels on many benchmarks.

This expansion comes amid ongoing discussion about the potential impact of AI on the job market. While concerns about job displacement persist, some analysts suggest AI will primarily reshape work roles. A potential future envisions workers managing teams of AI agents, focusing on goal setting, output evaluation, and critical decision-making.

This shift could resemble the dynamic depicted in the 1999 film Office Space, where characters like Bill Lumbergh oversee teams completing routine tasks, such as the infamous TPS reports.

For those interested in positive news, you can sign up for the Vox Good News newsletter here.