Claude Cowork: Record-a-Skill Reduces Search Time

Claude Cowork: A Promising Advancement in Automation

Last month, Anthropic unveiled a new feature for its tool Claude Cowork: the ability to transform a narrated screen recording into a Claude skill. One user experimented with this feature and found that it significantly reduced research time, from several hours to just 30 minutes. However, this personal experience revealed that, like any magic, it comes at a cost in terms of resource consumption, execution speed, and sometimes imprecise control.

What is a Claude Skill?

A skill, in the context of Claude, is a prompt detailed enough to be executed like a program. It allows for the automation of complex tasks, similar to the skill of the Claude Small Business plugin that analyzes and evaluates contracts. While this skill does not replace a specialized lawyer, it offers a more accessible and often more efficient alternative than some less effective legal professionals.

The Capabilities of Claude Cowork

Claude Cowork is not limited to creating skills. It also allows Claude to take control of your computer, navigate between applications, browse web pages, and make decisions along the way. Think of it as executing batch scripts or very powerful shortcuts capable of simplifying complex processes.

Automation: A Constant Challenge

Over the years, computer automation has been a constant challenge, often requiring days of setup for fragile results. Traditional automations, based on pixel reading or if/then branches, are particularly vulnerable to changes in user interfaces. The question remains whether AI automations, like those offered by Claude, will be able to dynamically adapt to these changes.

Record-a-Skill: A Simplified Approach

The Record-a-Skill feature of Claude promises to simplify the creation of automations. In one evening, it is possible to design a complex and powerful skill, although the process still requires adjustments. This approach is more accessible than complex scripting, but it demands a certain finesse to be effective.

Data Aggregation and Sentiment Analysis

As part of their work, journalists regularly have to perform tedious tasks for article writing. Services like HARO and Qwoted are essential for connecting experts with journalists. For example, for an article on the use of Airtable in meal planning, nutrition experts were consulted. Similarly, for articles on the legal implications of AI-generated code, specialized lawyers were consulted. Another example involves an article on the use of 5G, where business owners were interviewed about how this technology has improved their operations.

The Limitations of Connection Services

While valuable, these services are not without flaws. Posting a request on HARO or Qwoted often results in an avalanche of responses, many of which are inappropriate or irrelevant. Sorting through these responses, selecting the best ones, and preparing the information for an article can take an entire day, a tedious and frustrating task.

How to Get Started with Record-a-Skill

To record a skill, you need to use the Claude Desktop application in Chat/Cowork mode. After selecting the Cowork tab, simply click on the + and choose Record a skill. A microphone is essential for giving verbal instructions to Claude while demonstrating the actions to be performed.

The Teaching Mindset

Recording a skill with Claude is not just about capturing clicks like with a macro. It’s about adopting a teaching mindset, as if you were training a human assistant on a complex workflow. This approach allows Claude to understand and replicate tasks more intelligently.

Adjustments and Finalization

During the skill recording, the project goals are explained verbally, as one would do with an assistant. Once the recording is complete, Claude generates the full text of the skill. Adjustments may be necessary, particularly to prevent every mention of HARO from automatically triggering an unwanted action.