In 5 Steps: Set up and experiment with Claude Computer Use

AI agents have long been expected to be the future of productivity, capable of performing complex tasks autonomously. But despite the hype, their development has been slow, with most tools still in experimental stages. Anthropic’s Computer-Use Demo changes the game, offering a glimpse into a future where AI can interact with computers just like we do—navigating desktops, filling forms, and even analyzing data.

If you’re eager to see the potential of AI agents in action, this step-by-step guide will walk you through setting up and experimenting with this exciting feature. 

This tutorial is shared by Helen Lee Kupp. Helen is the Co-founder and CEO of Women Defining AI. She also launched Almost Technical, a series of AI micro-learning programs & blueprints to help executives and their teams get hands and innovate with AI.

First know that we will get into some technical steps to get the setup working, like running a terminal command. But I promise that nontechnical people can and should attempt this demo.

Second, it’s important to note that because this is all early & computer use is in beta — you want to experiment carefully: 1) create a virtual environment like Docker rather than giving it full access to your computer and 2) understand the limitations that exist (or that have been built in for safety measures). This walkthrough will use Docker.

Step 1: Set Up Docker for a Secure Environment

1. Visit docker.com and download the Docker Desktop installer for your operating system.
2. Install Docker and create an account if prompted.
3. Ensure Docker is running on your computer as you proceed.

Step 2: Get Your Anthropic API Key

1. Head over to the Anthropic Console.
2. Navigate to Get API Keys and click on the + Create Key button.

3. Name your key (e.g., computer-use-test) and save it securely—it won’t be displayed again after creation.

Note: Make sure you have loaded some credits to your account so that you can use the API when it’s running on your computer. You will need <$5 for a quick experiment 

‍Step 3: Prepare the Code for Docker

1. Access the Anthropic Quickstart Repository and locate the Computer-Use Demo code snippet for Docker (copy the code below if you cannot find it).
2. Replace %your_api_key% with the API key you generated earlier.

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=%your_api_key%
docker run \
    -e ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY \
    -v $HOME/.anthropic:/home/computeruse/.anthropic \
    -p 5900:5900 \
    -p 8501:8501 \
    -p 6080:6080 \
    -p 8080:8080 \
    -it ghcr.io/anthropics/anthropic-quickstarts:computer-use-demo-latest

‍Step 4: Run that code on your computer

1. Open your Terminal (or equivalent command-line tool for Mac users).
2. Paste the entire code block (with the updated API key) and press Enter to execute it.
3. Be patient! It may take a few minutes to load. Once complete, look for a message that says: “Computer Use Demo is ready!”
4. Copy the provided localhost link (e.g., http://localhost:8080) to access the virtual desktop.

Step 5: Test and Explore the Demo

1. Open the localhost link in your browser. You’ll see:
   • A Claude-powered prompt panel on the left.
   • A virtual desktop view on the right.

  2. Assign tasks to Claude, such as filling out a form, navigating files, or compiling data.

   3. When done, stop the program by typing Ctrl+C in your terminal.

‍Pro Tip

‍This demo is experimental, so don’t hesitate to explore but also expect occasional errors. Use this as a sandbox to understand the power of AI-driven automation.

Refer to this video to review the steps or for help if you get stuck:

From here, the possibilities are endless. Helen used the agent to compile 401k rollover information—steps, addresses for sending checks, reference links, and more—into a single Excel file from various banks. If you found this guide helpful, I highly recommend following Helen and her exciting projects that make AI adoption easier.

Have fun experimenting!