What is Computer Use?

Computer Use is Anthropic's groundbreaking API that allows Claude to control computers through visual interface interaction. Unlike traditional AI integrations that require specific APIs or custom code for each application, Computer Use enables Claude to interact with any software the same way a human would.

The Paradigm Shift

Traditional automation requires:

• Custom API integrations for each service
• Maintaining code as UIs change
• Building separate solutions for each application

Computer Use changes this by letting Claude:

• See your screen through screenshots
• Understand what's displayed using vision capabilities
• Act by controlling mouse and keyboard

Key Capabilities

The Computer Use API provides Claude with these tools:

Tool	Purpose
computer	Take screenshots, move mouse, click, type, scroll
text_editor	View and edit files directly
bash	Execute terminal commands

Model Performance

Claude Sonnet 4.5 leads the OSWorld benchmark at 61.4% accuracy on real-world computer tasks. This represents a significant improvement from Claude Sonnet 4's 42.2% just four months prior.

Note: Computer Use is currently in beta. Anthropic recommends using it in sandboxed environments for safety.

What You'll Build

• Automate repetitive desktop workflows
• Navigate and interact with web applications
• Process documents and extract data
• Handle complex multi-step tasks autonomously

In the next lesson, we'll explore how Computer Use works under the hood. :::