I Tested Claude Computer Use - Here's What You Need to Know

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Browser automation is evolving. Claude can now interact with web interfaces directly - opening browsers, clicking buttons, and typing text. I’m sure you’ve all heard about it but how do you actually use it?

That’s what today’s newsletter is about.

But first, for the uninitiated:

What is Computer Use?

It's a new capability that gives Claude access to a virtual machine. Instead of writing scripts, you describe what you want in plain English. Claude handles the rest.

Basically, this is baby step no. 267 towards AGI.

Current Capabilities

• Browser automation (opening tabs, filling forms)

• Basic file operations

• UI interactions (clicks, typing, scrolling)

• Simple workflow automation

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How to set it up

Getting started requires:

• Docker installation

• Anthropic API key

• Running a container command

Here’s a tutorial video I made on setting it up:

Pro tip: If you hit a port binding error on 5900 (which is common), change it to 5905. Saves you some troubleshooting time.

Real-World Testing Notes

After testing it for several hours, here are my observations:

What Works Well:

• Expectedly, natural language instructions

• Basic browser automation — probably the best use-case so far

• Adaptability to different websites (no more web scraping)

Current Limitations:

• It’s pretty … slow. Which is expected. Will get better overtime.

• My entire test (i.e., a calculator application) cost me about $0.16. Not bad.

• You still need to get involved here and there to guide it

• It’s limited to browser-based tasks for now

Should You Try It?

You know what … it’s not a choice anymore. Whether you like it or not, at the current pace of AI development, it’s going to replace you eventually. Early familiarity would only pay dividends.

There’s still a few hours of Sunday left. Go set it up and use it. Thank me later 😉 

Cheers,
Junaid