Initial explorations of Anthropic's new Computer Use capability

Anthropic has announced two significant updates: the Claude 3.5 Sonnet model and a new API mode called "computer use." Unlike OpenAI's Code Interpreter, Anthropic's model does not provide a hosted virtual machine; instead, users must supply their own computer and interact with the model by sending text and screenshots. The new model introduces coordinate support, allowing it to provide specific mouse click coordinates based on screenshots, enhancing its ability to interact with desktop applications. The computer-use-demo repository facilitates quick setup with a Docker command for an Ubuntu container. However, there are safety concerns, particularly regarding prompt injection, where malicious instructions could override user commands. Anthropic has implemented measures to monitor potential misuse, especially in light of the upcoming U.S. elections. The Claude 3.5 Sonnet model shows improvements in coding and tool use tasks, outperforming previous models on various benchmarks, yet there are criticisms regarding the naming conventions of the models, which some believe do not adequately reflect the advancements made.

- Anthropic's new "computer use" API mode requires users to provide their own computer.

- The Claude 3.5 Sonnet model features enhanced coordinate support for better interaction with desktop applications.

- Safety concerns include the risk of prompt injection, prompting Anthropic to monitor potential misuse.

- The new model shows significant performance improvements in coding tasks compared to previous versions.

- Criticism exists regarding the naming conventions of Anthropic's models, suggesting they are confusing.