Anthropic Enhances Claude’s Free Tier Amid OpenAI’s ChatGPT Ad Plans
Anthropic has made significant enhancements to the free tier of its AI chatbot, Claude, in response to OpenAI’s recent plans to introduce advertisements in ChatGPT. The upgrade, announced on Wednesday, focuses on expanding the capabilities available to free users.
New Features for Claude’s Free Tier
The latest enhancements allow free users of Claude to utilize a variety of features that were previously exclusive to paid subscribers. Notably, free users can now:
- Create and edit Excel spreadsheets.
- Prepare PowerPoint presentations.
- Draft Word documents and PDFs.
These functionalities are powered by Sonnet 4.5, which enhances Claude’s file creation abilities significantly.
Connecting to Third-Party Services
In addition to file creation, free users can now link Claude to various external services through Connectors. Some of the available platforms include:
- Canva
- Slack
- Notion
- Zapier
- PayPal
Introducing Custom Skills
Another noteworthy addition is the “Skills” feature, which allows users to teach Claude to execute specific tasks repeatedly. This enables the chatbot to load folders of instructions and resources tailored to performing relevant tasks efficiently.
Enhanced User Experience
Other improvements to Claude’s free tier include:
- Longer conversation capabilities.
- More interactive responses.
- Enhanced voice and image search functions.
These upgrades appear to be a strategic response to OpenAI’s shift towards monetization through ads. Notably, Anthropic has emphasized their commitment to keeping Claude ad-free, stating, “No ads in sight.” This message bolsters their promise from last week, reassuring users about the uninterrupted experience with Claude.
Anthropic’s enhancements reflect a competitive strategy, particularly in light of OpenAI’s recent advertising plans for ChatGPT, showcasing their commitment to delivering a robust user experience without ads.
