Computer Use

Computer use is an AI capability where the model directly controls a computer's screen, mouse, and keyboard — operating any software the way a human would.

Computer use is the generalization of browser agents to the whole desktop: spreadsheets, legacy desktop apps, multi-window workflows, file systems. Anthropic shipped the first production version in late 2024; by 2026 it's broadly available across providers. It's the slow, universal tool — when no API or MCP exists, computer use can still do the job.

Example

An AI Bookkeeper uses computer use to log into a state tax portal that lacks an API, downloads the form, fills it in QuickBooks, and exports the result.

How OpenLabor uses it

OpenLabor employees use computer use as a last-resort tool when APIs and MCPs aren't available.

Is computer use safe to give to an AI?

With sandboxing and approval gates on destructive actions, yes. Don't run it as root with network on a production box.

Related: browser-agent, tool-use.

AI Labor Glossary