Definition:
Claude is a family of artificial intelligence models developed by Anthropic. It is also the name of the assistant that uses those models to converse with users and help them write, analyse information, interpret images and work with code.
It is useful to distinguish the model from the application: the model processes information and generates responses; the assistant provides the interface and tools people work with. The available features depend on the model, service and configuration being used.
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The origins of Claude and Constitutional AI
Anthropic introduced Claude in 2023, following a testing phase with partners. Its development is linked to the company’s research into training useful artificial intelligence systems and reducing harmful behaviour.
One of its contributions is Constitutional AI, an approach that uses explicit principles to guide the evaluation and revision of responses during training. In this process, the models themselves can help critique responses and suggest alternatives that better align with those principles.
This approach aims to improve the system’s behaviour, but does not guarantee that its responses will be free from errors, bias or inappropriate content.
How Claude works
Claude receives instructions, known as prompts, and produces responses based on its training and the available context. That context may include the conversation, documents supplied by the user or information obtained through connected tools.
For example, someone can attach a report and ask for a summary of its conclusions. They can then request a simpler explanation or a comparison between two sections without having to describe the entire task again.
The response depends on both the model’s capabilities and the information it receives. Specifying the objective, audience and expected format helps guide the result. If information is missing, it is useful to ask Claude to identify those gaps rather than fill them with assumptions.
What Claude is used for
Claude can support various reading, writing and analysis tasks. Its applications include the following:
- Writing and editing: preparing drafts, reorganising text or adapting its tone for a particular audience.
- Document analysis: summarising reports, comparing content and locating information in the materials provided.
- Programming: explaining code, suggesting changes, helping identify errors and preparing tests.
- Image interpretation: analysing screenshots, diagrams or charts supported by the model’s visual input capabilities.
- Learning: explaining concepts, developing examples and setting exercises.
- Organising information: classifying comments, extracting data or transforming content into a defined structure.
These tasks require different levels of review. Interpreting an image, for example, is not the same as generating a new one, and proposed code should be checked before it is used.
Ways to use Claude
The assistant lets people work through conversations, while the models can also be incorporated into other applications. Through an API, a company can integrate their capabilities into its own service.
The difference lies in who organises the interaction. In the assistant, people use the application’s features; in an integration, developers define what information is sent to the model, which tools it can use and how the result is presented.
Connecting Claude to an application does not automatically give it access to all the application’s data. That access depends on the permissions and functions that have been enabled.
Limitations to be aware of
Claude can produce incorrect responses, misinterpret a document or present information it has not verified as fact. A convincing explanation does not guarantee that the data or sources are correct.
It should not be assumed that every response includes up-to-date information from the internet. This depends on whether search tools are available and used for the task.
Before providing confidential information, it is worth reviewing the service’s terms and the organisation’s policies. Data handling may vary between the assistant, enterprise services and integrations.
The difference between Claude and Claude Code
Claude is the name of Anthropic’s models and its general-purpose assistant. Claude Code is an Anthropic tool focused on software development that uses Claude models to work on coding projects.
The difference is not simply the ability to ask programming questions. Claude Code can examine project files, propose and apply changes, and run commands or tests, depending on permissions and configuration. This makes it possible to work within the development environment rather than just receive an explanation or copy a code snippet from a conversation.
Claude Code is not another model or a more advanced version of Claude: it is a specialised tool that uses those models.