Claude Cowork : delegating work to an AI, and its Copilot equivalents CoworkChatGPT Work and Vibe Work
Guide Cowork
Claude Cowork What is it, what difference does it make, and for whom?
Claude Cowork is the delegated work mode of Claude, Anthropic's assistant, included in paid subscriptions starting with Pro. The same principle exists at Microsoft (Copilot Cowork), OpenAI (ChatGPT Work) and Mistral (Vibe WorkInstead of simply answering a question, the assistant takes on an entire task: they read the files you provide, produce a deliverable (document, table, presentation, summary), and report back to you at each stage. This service is designed for those who produce analyses, reports, or documents from existing sources. The difference isn't the speed, but rather the nature of the work that remains for you: defining the scope, providing the appropriate sources, securing approvals, and verifying.
that Cowork Is not
- This is not a tool for developers. Claude Code, GitHub Copilot or Codex write code in a terminal. CoworkWork and Vibe Work are designed for document work, without writing a single line of code.
- This is not automation. Each mission is defined beforehand and verified afterward by a designated person. Four ways to delegate work to AI explain where Cowork lies somewhere between a conversational assistant and an autonomous agent.
Which tool is right for you?
Claude Cowork, Copilot Cowork, ChatGPT Work or Vibe Work: the right choice depends on your environment
The method is the same everywhere. What differs is where your documents reside, who manages access, and what your IT department has already approved. In most organizations, the question isn't "which one is the best" but "which one is already in place?"
How it looks: in the Claude app, on the web, on computers (macOS and Windows), on mobile devices (iOS and Android), and in the Chrome sidebar. Since July 2026, missions have been running in the cloud: they continue when the computer is closed, and scheduled tasks run automatically at the chosen pace, even when the computer is turned off. Since September 16, 2026 (phased rollout), Cowork It's no longer a separate mode: it's the same conversation as the chat, and Claude decides for himself when a request warrants a mission with files and tools. He reads the folders, projects, and connectors you open for him, proposes a plan, generates the files, and requests approval before any sensitive actions; the desktop application remains necessary to work on your local files or control the computer.
Key strength in the workshop: the quality of writing and reasoning on voluminous sources, and a readable step-by-step control.
How it looks: a tab Cowork Alongside the Chat, a mission created as a new task to which files and folders from the Microsoft cloud are attached, deliverables are placed in an output space, and automations are described in natural language.
Key strength in the workshop: the existing governance, the inherited SharePoint rights access, and the integration with Outlook and Teams.
How it looks: ChatGPT Work, which consumes workspace credits, workspace agents (Agents tab) with instructions and connected applications, and scheduled tasks.
Key strength in the workshop: the ecosystem of agents and automations, and the teams' familiarity with the interface.
How it looks: In Vibe, there is a Work tab next to Chat and Code, a shared context (knowledge, connectors, skills, instructions) and scheduled tasks.
Key strength in the workshop: a French vendor, and the simplicity of switching between conversation, mission and code in the same space.
Getting started
Install, configure, and know what remains under your control
Where to start
- Open your assistant's delegation mode (Cowork in Microsoft 365 Copilot, Work in ChatGPT or in Vibe). At Claude's, there is no longer a separate mode since the merging of chat and CoworkSeptember 16, 2026 (gradual deployment): Describe the task in the conversation; Claude will automatically begin working with files and tools. Then choose an authorized working folder, project, or connector: this defines the scope the tool will be able to access.
- Write an initial brief with three elements: the expected result, the sources to use, and what must be validated before proceeding. A brief without an expected result produces a response, not a deliverable.
- Reread the plan that Cowork Make a proposal before letting them work, then check the deliverable against your criteria. Keep the brief that worked: it will be useful next time.
The step-by-step guide to setting up Claude Cowork the first time →
Things to consider before using it in a business setting
- Limit access to what is necessary: one folder per mission rather than an entire disk.
- Reserve professional data for a company account, never for a personal account.
- Decide in writing what Cowork can do this alone and what requires validation: send, delete, modify a shared document.
- Keeping track of briefs and controls: that's what makes missions reusable and auditable.
None of the four modes can be purchased separately: Claude Cowork is included in paid Claude subscriptions from Pro upwards (not in the free plan), Copilot Cowork requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence, ChatGPT Work uses credits from a Business or Enterprise workspace, Vibe Work is part of Vibe. Exact terms and conditions vary by publisher.
F.A.Q
What we are being asked about Cowork
To get started with confidence, the Cowork kit free (Word + Excel) combines the briefing method, 24 tasks to delegate, the traffic light system of safeguards, and a 30-day pilot plan for Claude Cowork and Copilot Cowork.
Claude CoworkWhat exactly is it?
This is the approach of Claude, Anthropic's assistant, who carries out a complete task rather than simply responding to a message: reading assigned files, producing a deliverable, and providing a report at each stage. Microsoft also calls it Cowork (Copilot CoworkOpenAI and Mistral call it Work (ChatGPT Work, Vibe Work). In all four cases, the tool works within the scope of folders and connectors that you open to it.
Claude Cowork, Copilot Cowork, ChatGPT Work, Vibe Work: what's the difference?
The same idea in four environments. Claude Cowork It lives in the Claude application (web, computer, mobile), runs in the cloud, and, since September 16, 2026, blends seamlessly into the conversation; it reads authorized folders and connectors. Copilot Cowork It lives in Microsoft 365 Copilot and inherits SharePoint and OneDrive rights. ChatGPT Work lives in ChatGPT Business or Enterprise and relies on agents and connected applications. Vibe Work lives in Vibe, Mistral's workspace. Our Claude comparison CoworkCopilot Cowork and ChatGPT Work details the criteria that matter for an IT department.
Which one to choose ?
The one that's already in your environment, almost always. An organization using Microsoft 365 Copilot will go with Copilot Cowork for existing governance; a company using ChatGPT Enterprise to ChatGPT Work; a team working on long documents without relying on an office suite to Claude Cowork A sovereignty constraint leads to Vibe Work. The method we teach is the same for all four.
Are my files being sent to the publisher?
The tool works with the files you explicitly provide. Processing and storage conditions depend on the publisher, your subscription, and your settings. For professional use, use a company account, limit access to what is necessary, and never entrust confidential data to a personal account.
How much does Claude cost? Cowork ?
None of the four modes can be purchased separately: Claude Cowork is included in paid Claude subscriptions from Pro upwards (not in the free plan), Copilot Cowork requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence, ChatGPT Work uses credits from a Business or Enterprise workspace, and Vibe Work is part of Vibe. NextStart training or support is separate from the subscription and is offered separately depending on the chosen format.
Is training required to use Cowork ?
No, not for starting out alone on a first mission. Yes, more often than not, to ensure that practices are effective within a team: what causes a deployment to fail isn't the tool itself, but rather briefs without expected results, unprepared sources, and deliverables that are never verified. This is precisely what the Party, Challenge, and Hackathon formats address.
What is the equivalent of Cowork with ChatGPT?
It's called ChatGPT Work and resides in a Business or Enterprise workspace, where it uses workspace credits. Equivalents from other vendors include Copilot Cowork in Microsoft 365, Claude Cowork in the Claude and Vibe Work applications at Mistral. The process is the same in all four: you assign a task and a scope of files, the tool produces a deliverable and provides a report. Our comparison of the four environments details the discrepancies.
What is the difference between an AI agent and Cowork ?
Cowork is a task you delegate from start to finish, with an expected deliverable and a report: you open the session, you close it. An agent is a permanent role, equipped and often activated without your involvement, that handles recurring cases. In practice, a task Cowork Successfully and repeatedly demonstrated is the best set of specifications for a future agent. See our AI Agents Guide.
Copilot Cowork or Claude Cowork : what are the limits?
The limitations are less about the product itself than about the scope you open up. Copilot Cowork inherits the SharePoint and OneDrive rights of the person who initiates the task: what they don't see, the tool doesn't see either. Claude Cowork only works on explicitly authorized files and connectors. In both cases, the real limitations observed in the workshop lie elsewhere: a brief without expected results, poorly prepared sources, and a deliverable that no one proofreads.
Can we give instructions that are valid for all sessions?
Yes, each environment has its own designated space for this: projects and customization in Claude, project or agent instructions in ChatGPT, global instructions in Vibe, and agents and their sources in Copilot. This is where your long-term rules are established: tone, deliverable format, reference sources, and what must always be verified by a human.
How to regulate the use of Cowork in company ?
Four decisions are all it takes to get started: use a company account and never a personal one, define the scope of open folders and connectors, document what cannot be delegated and what is systematically verified, and designate who reviews deliverables. Furthermore, since February 2, 2025, Article 4 of the European AI Regulation mandates measures to develop employees' AI skills; Omnibus Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 has made this a requirement of due diligence, monitored by national authorities since August 2, 2026. Our AI usage charter template is downloadable and adaptable.
From brief to verified deliverable
The four key elements of a successful delegation
The practice Cowork This involves entrusting AI with a multi-stage mission, with an expected outcome, data sources, and checkpoints. The possibilities depend on the tool and authorized access. NextStart helps you master the four essential steps to define, monitor, and ensure the reliability of your delegated tasks.
Cowork Finder
Which mission could you test first?
Describe a specific task, its frequency, the documents used, and the expected deliverable. Cowork Finder helps you identify which tasks to delegate first.
NextStart.AI Library
Choose a mission and prepare your first attempt
Explore the library's job descriptions to identify tasks suited to your work. Use them to clarify the expected outcome, prepare the sources and define the human validations, then adapt the approach to your tools and constraints.
Six missions ready to launch in Claude Cowork or Copilot Cowork : prepare a management committee from start to finish, produce the annotated monthly report, responding to a call for tenders, transforming a complex case into an executive presentation, conduct a sourced market study et to take over a file that one has inherited.
Training and deployment Cowork
Learn to frame, verify, and reuse your assignments
From the initial guided mission to deployment, your teams practice on real-world business cases and learn to monitor results. The format depends on your objectives, tools, and authorized access.
Deploy Cowork
Choose your pilot missions, define access and responsibilities, train your ambassadors and measure the quality and time saved before expanding usage.
Discover the support →Party, Challenge, Hackathon
Discover the delegation in Party, one hour ; practice it on your cases in half-day Party; test and prioritize your tasks by Challenge, a day ; build a documented workflow in Hackathon, two days.
Discover the Cowork Party® →Cowork Studio
Six days spread over four to six weeks to build and test two to four business workflows: briefs, human checks, real pilot and transfer to teams.
Discover Cowork Studio →Let's build your program Cowork
Training for your teams or support during deployment: describe your situation in a few lines (teams involved, existing tools, deadlines). We'll get back to you within 24 business hours. You can also book a 30-minute consultation directly.
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