What is Claude?
Claude is a powerful generative AI assistant, created by the company Anthropic, known for its strong safety features and its ability to process very large documents.
Claude is a family of Large Language Models (LLMs) developed by Anthropic, an AI safety and research company. Positioned as a direct competitor to models like ChatGPT, Claude is distinguished by its “Constitutional AI” framework, which bakes safety and ethical guidelines into its core behavior.
It is widely recognized for its large context window, a feature that allows it to analyze, summarize, and answer questions about extensive texts (such as research papers, books, or legal contracts) in a single prompt.
Think of it this way: If ChatGPT is your fast intern, Claude is your detail-oriented research assistant. While both can write emails, Claude’s special skill is reading a 100-page report you don’t have time for and instantly giving you the five key takeaways.
Why It Matters for You
As a business owner, you’re often buried in documents—supplier contracts, new government regulations, or long competitor reports. Claude is the perfect tool for that. You can upload a PDF and ask questions like, “What are the main risks in this contract?” or “Summarize this report for me.” It’s also known for having a slightly more natural, ‘human-sounding’ writing style, which many prefer for first drafts of marketing copy.
Example: Handling Large Documents
- Task: You just received a 30-page “Main Street Revitalization” report from your local BIA.
- Your Prompt:
I've uploaded the new BIA report. Please read it and give me a bullet-point summary of the three main opportunities it identifies for retail store owners. Also, what is the deadline for applying for the facade improvement grant?Key Takeaways
- Claude is a generative AI assistant from the company Anthropic.
- It’s a primary competitor to ChatGPT with a strong focus on safety.
- Its key strength is handling very large documents and files (long PDFs, reports, etc.) thanks to its large context window.
- Many users prefer its natural and friendly writing tone.
Go Deeper
- Understand its “memory”: Learn what a Context Window is and why Claude’s is so large.
- Organize your work: Check out the feature that lets you build Claude Projects.
- See the base technology: Read our simple explanation of what a Large Language Model (LLM) is.