Anthropic Adds File Creation and Editing to Claude AI Assistant

October 21, 2025

Details

  • Anthropic introduced an upgraded feature for Claude that enables users to create and edit files, including Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs directly within Claude.ai and its desktop app, as of October 2025.
  • This capability is available as a preview to Max, Team, and Enterprise plan users, with Pro subscribers expected to gain access soon. Activation requires turning on the "Upgraded file creation and analysis" option in experimental settings.
  • The upgrade runs Claude in a secure, server-side environment where it writes and executes Python and Node.js code, allowing it to generate charts, manipulate data, build multi-sheet documents with formulas, and convert between formats using plain language prompts.
  • This update marks Anthropic's response to OpenAI's ChatGPT Code Interpreter, now known as Advanced Data Analysis. It replaces Claude’s prior browser-only Analysis tool from October 2024 with a more robust, server-based system supporting complex operations.
  • The feature targets advanced workflows such as financial modeling, automated data cleaning, cross-format conversions, and visualizations—making traditionally technical tasks accessible via conversation.

Impact

By introducing file creation and editing, Anthropic enhances Claude’s competitiveness against leaders like OpenAI and Google in enterprise AI productivity. This development highlights a broader move to make AI assistants handle complex, end-to-end tasks. While the feature promises to streamline workflows for professionals, the preview and security limitations show this technology is still maturing for widespread business adoption.

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