In a quiet yet significant move, Anthropic seems to be gearing up for a substantial update to its AI assistant, Claude. The company has been spotted integrating a new feature called ‘Skills’, currently accessible as a hidden toggle named “Skills Preview” within the settings. This addition is set to empower users, particularly power users and developers, with more control over Claude’s outputs, moving beyond the current style selectors and into the realm of custom prompt functionality.
The ‘Skills’ feature, still under wraps, allows users to upload repeatable and customizable instructions, dubbed ‘skills’, using either a .skill file or a zipped folder containing a SKILL.md file. This suggests Anthropic is standardizing a file-based system for user-defined capabilities, mirroring concepts seen in other AI tools like Dia Browser, which also explored user-activated custom functions under the ‘Skills’ label.
The primary audience for this feature is expected to be those seeking more granular workflow automations. Users could potentially script skills for instant execution of tasks ranging from data transformations and content generation to domain-specific tasks triggered by keywords. For instance, users regularly employing Claude for tasks like SVG Robot benchmarking or data extraction could script their own skill, eliminating the need for repeated prompt engineering.
As of now, Anthropic has not clarified the full range of possible tasks or provided public samples. The Skills option’s placement within Claude’s settings hints at its potential mainstream availability across all user tiers, pending successful initial testing. This move aligns with Anthropic’s broader strategy to make Claude more flexible and accessible to both technical and non-technical users, narrowing the gap with competitors like OpenAI, which already offer plug-in and custom function support.
The discovery of the Skills Preview option appears to have originated from early user interface leaks and hidden settings exploration, with Anthropic maintaining silence on official channels thus far. However, the company’s recent push into real-time UI generation and modularity in Claude’s web interface suggests that skills might one day extend beyond text-based instructions into interactive or artifact-generating add-ons.
In conclusion, Anthropic’s stealthy introduction of the ‘Skills’ feature signals a significant shift in Claude’s capabilities, promising users more control and customization options. As the feature continues to develop, it will be interesting to see how Anthropic balances the needs of its diverse user base while maintaining Claude’s accessibility and ease of use. With competitors like OpenAI already offering similar functionality, Anthropic’s move is a strategic one, positioning Claude to better compete in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
