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What “outside Anthropic’s sandbox” can mean
The phrase can describe different requirements, and they lead to different comparisons. You might want to keep agent execution off Anthropic-managed infrastructure, use another provider’s identity and administrative controls, avoid a desktop app acting as a bridge to local files, or choose an agent built around your existing work suite. Decide which of these matters before comparing products.
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Also distinguish execution location from data access. An agent can run in the cloud yet reach selected local resources through an open desktop app; that does not mean the work is processed only on your device.
How Claude Cowork handles cloud work and local access
As of October 6, 2026, new Cowork tasks on Claude Pro and Max run in the cloud. Tasks started on a computer before that change can remain local until finished. Anthropic’s current guide to Cowork across web, desktop, and mobile describes these paths and their exceptions.
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Local files stay on the computer, but Cowork accesses connected folders through the Claude Desktop app. Cloud tasks can reach those files only while the app is open. Local connectors and plugins that use local MCP servers also require the desktop app. So cloud execution does not eliminate every desktop dependency.
Anthropic says cloud sessions run in isolated, temporary sandboxes on its managed infrastructure, with restrictions on network reachability and short-lived session tokens. It also says work—including local files opened through the desktop app—is processed on Anthropic’s servers. These are Anthropic’s descriptions of its architecture, not an independent security audit; see its Cowork architecture overview.
Alternatives to evaluate
Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork
For an organization whose files, identity, and workflows already sit in Microsoft 365, Copilot Cowork is a strong ecosystem candidate—particularly if local Edge workflows and tenant policies matter. Microsoft Learn says it became generally available to Microsoft 365 Copilot tenants worldwide in tier-1 languages in June 2026. Its updates describe local browser use through Microsoft Edge, existing user sign-ins, and organizational policies, as well as governance and Purview guidance. Check Microsoft’s Copilot Cowork updates for current details.
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Microsoft describes tasks spanning inbox workflows, research, structured documents, and web pages in its May 5, 2026 product article. That is a vendor description, not independent evidence of effectiveness. The documented fit makes Copilot Cowork worth evaluating in a Microsoft 365 environment; it does not establish that all work runs locally or that it matches Claude Cowork in every task.
ChatGPT agent
OpenAI’s announcement of ChatGPT agent makes it a reasonable adjacent candidate if you want an agentic workflow. The available official material does not establish enough about its current execution location, file access, browser interaction, plans, or governance for a direct capability comparison. Verify those specifics against current documentation before deciding whether it meets your requirements.
Compare the data path, access, and controls
Use these questions when reviewing product documentation or conducting an approved evaluation. A label such as “cloud,” “agent,” or “computer use” does not answer them on its own.
- Execution and processing: Where does the agent loop run? Where are prompts, files, and outputs processed and stored?
- Local access: Can it read or write local folders? Does that access depend on an always-open desktop bridge, and which folders can it reach?
- Browser work: Does it use a built-in browser, the user’s browser, or a remote browser? Which signed-in accounts and organization policies apply?
- Work ecosystem: Which identity, files, messaging, calendar, and administrative platform does it fit?
- Availability: Which plans, devices, regions, and tenant settings are required now?
- Controls: What permissions, approval steps, logging, retention settings, and administrator controls are documented?
The sources available for this comparison do not establish an independent head-to-head quality ranking. Choose based on verified data paths and controls, not an assumed universal winner or an unsupported performance score.
Assess safety and governance before using sensitive work
Anthropic advises care with sensitive files and signed-in sites. Its safety guidance says computer use can directly click, type, and navigate the screen without the permission checks that gate other Cowork tools. The architecture overview says access to local folders is limited to those a user connects, and a cloud session cannot reach the device when Claude Desktop is offline. Review Anthropic’s Cowork safety guidance alongside the architecture overview, and assess those statements against your own data rules rather than treating vendor-described isolation as a safety guarantee.
For any candidate, map where information goes, what the agent can access, and which controls your organization can enforce. Run an approved evaluation with non-sensitive work before connecting sensitive files or signed-in services.
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