Anthropic launches Opus 5 AI model, nears top-tier capabilities at lower cost

Anthropic has launched Opus 5, its newest AI model, which the company states offers capabilities nearing its more powerful Fable 5 model but at half the price. The San Francisco-based company designed Opus 5 for daily office and computer programming tasks. According to Anthropic product leader Dianne Penn, the release reflects a rapid development pace and a commitment to making frontier intelligence accessible.

In testing, Opus 5 demonstrated less capability in exploiting cyber vulnerabilities compared to Fable 5, resulting in less restrictive safeguards. However, the startup noted that Opus 5 is less susceptible to misuse than Anthropic's other current models. Users are advised to select Opus 5 for value-driven tasks and Fable 5 for extended, autonomous projects.

Separately, Anthropic has also enhanced Claude's voice mode, allowing users to choose between Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku models. This update enables deeper conversations and feedback on communication styles. A key feature is the integration with external applications such as Gmail, Slack, and Notion, allowing Claude to perform tasks like drafting emails or updating calendars. Free users are limited to the Haiku model and one connected app.