AI Companies Compete Fiercely, With Anthropic Doubling Down on Enterprise Tools

Just weeks after new AI office tools unsettled software stocks, Anthropic is pushing further into workplace automation with expanded capabilities for its Claude AI assistant. The company announced updates that tailor Claude to specific professional roles — including design, human resources, and wealth management — while enabling deeper integration with workplace applications such as spreadsheets, presentations, and enterprise collaboration tools.

Rather than operating as a standalone chatbot, Claude can now work directly inside business software environments, accessing contextual data without requiring users to switch applications. The goal, according to Anthropic, is to position Claude as a virtual collaborator capable of tasks such as analysing spreadsheet data, drafting presentations, modelling financial scenarios, generating HR documentation, and summarising vendor proposals.

The rapid pace of development has unsettled investors, with earlier plugin launches triggering sharp declines in some software stocks amid fears that AI tools could disrupt established enterprise software providers. Anthropic maintains its strategy is complementary rather than competitive, positioning Claude as a platform that enhances existing tools rather than replacing them.

Still, competitive pressure is intensifying. OpenAI has also expanded enterprise offerings, partnering with major consulting firms to deploy AI agents in corporate workflows. While adoption is accelerating, some analysts caution that security, governance, and data-privacy concerns may slow widespread enterprise uptake.

For now, markets appear cautious: enthusiasm for AI productivity gains is tempered by uncertainty over how quickly businesses will trust AI deeply enough to reshape core workflows.

Rivals Rattled

Anthropic’s moves have raised concerns that its tools could challenge existing analytics and research products in particular. A software industry ETF fell nearly 6% in a single day, its worst session since April. Thomson Reuters saw its biggest single-day stock drop on record in early February, plunging nearly 16%. LegalZoom sank almost 20%. FactSet dropped more than 10%. European data analytics giant RELX fell 14%.