Too Risky?
From reading files → to running your desktop
Claude recently dropped a new feature called “Computer Use.” You’ve probably seen the headlines.
Rather than just tell you what it does, Brian decided to test it himself. He put together a full video walkthrough if you want to see it in action.
Below we’ll cover what happened, how to set it up, and what to watch out for.
Plus — if you missed last week’s workshop on building an AI agent, we just posted a link to the recording (bottom of the email).
First, What Actually Changed
Up until now, Claude’s desktop app (Cowork) was confined to a sandbox. It could read your files and write new documents, but it couldn’t touch anything else on your computer.
That wall is gone.
Claude can now:
see your screen
move your mouse
click buttons
use your open applications
type into fields
It takes screenshots to understand what it’s looking at, then performs actions based on what it sees.
What Brian Tested
Brian started simple. Folder organization. Research across open tabs. Light website scraping. Nothing mission-critical. On purpose.
What worked: Folder cleanup was smooth. Research tasks, where it pulled info from a few open sources, were solid.
What he avoided: Sensitive data. Platforms that flag bots (LinkedIn). Anything where a mistake would actually matter.
His setup: Before every task, he closed everything except the data he wanted Claude to reference. Because Claude screenshots whatever’s open. If your email is visible, it can see your email.
The Phone Dispatch Trick
This is the part most people are sleeping on.
Brian ran tasks from his iPhone. You pair your phone with your desktop through Claude’s Dispatch feature, send a task, and let it work while you’re away.
You’re at lunch. Your desktop is doing the work. You come back and it’s done. The beta has limits, but the bones of something powerful are here.
How to Set It Up
Desktop: Click your name → Settings → Desktop App → General → scroll to “Computer Use” → Turn On. You may need to enable accessibility and screen recording permissions on your Mac / PC.
iPhone: Tap Dispatch → check “Computer Use” → open the sidebar → hit Dispatch. It pairs your phone with your desktop.
Browser control: Settings → General → Browser Use → Allow All Browser Actions. Read the warnings first.
Brian’s Honest Take
Would he recommend going all-in right now? No. The beta is too new, the safety controls aren’t there yet, and the screenshotting is no joke.
But if you’re going to try it, here’s how to stay safe:
Use a separate device if you can. Don’t give AI free rein on the machine you use every day.
Close everything you don’t want seen. Treat it like someone’s looking over your shoulder.
Keep it low-stakes. Folder cleanup, research, basic scraping. Nothing you’d panic about if it went wrong.
Watch the scraping. Platforms like LinkedIn could flag your account.
Once the safety controls catch up, this changes how people work. We’re watching it closely and we’ll keep testing so you don’t have to.
Watch the Full Walkthrough
Try it on a spare machine this week and see how it feels.
Watch Brian’s full walkthrough here: Claude Cowork’s New “Computer Use” Feature is Insane
Missed last week’s workshop?
We ran a live workshop last week on how to build your own AI agent in Claude. If you missed it, the full recording is up now.
Stay tuned for upcoming workshops!
Talk soon,
Brian + Andrea