Databricks and Anthropic launch new AI tools for office workers

The rise of agentic AI

The artificial intelligence industry is shifting its focus toward the 'knowledge worker.' While AI has already become a staple for software programmers, companies are now trying to prove its value in other business functions. This transition is marked by the move toward agentic AI, which refers to systems that can autonomously perform tasks on a user's behalf.

Databricks recently joined this push by launching a suite of tools designed to analyze and organize data across a business. Unlike standard chatbots that wait for a prompt, these agents are designed to be 'always on.' They run in the background to monitor information and proactively offer suggestions to employees.

The goal for these companies is to move past the experimental phase. By creating tools that handle repetitive data management, they hope to provide a clearer return on investment for corporations. This strategy aims to capture a much larger portion of the global market than just the tech-heavy coding sector.

Databricks' background agents

Databricks updated its Genie assistant to include features that shadow office workers throughout their day. These agents are designed to listen to what is happening in a business and retrieve information or make suggestions automatically. The company claims this will fundamentally change how office workers interact with their daily tasks.

A key component of this update is a feature called 'Ontology.' This tool essentially scans every piece of data within an organization, including management reporting lines and various department projects. By mapping out these connections, the system allows any individual to quickly run analyses or find specific information without manual searching.

Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi stated that he uses these tools every hour of the day. He told Fortune that the technology has made him a 10x better CEO over the last year. He expects that both large and small companies will adopt these tools to manage their internal data more efficiently.

Anthropic's productivity push

Anthropic followed up on Databricks' announcement with its own set of productivity tools for corporate users. One of the primary additions is a new AI-powered spreadsheet application. This tool is intended to compete directly with established software like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.

Anthropic also introduced a feature that allows its Claude AI to join video calls. This allows the AI to listen to a live conversation and begin working on tasks while people are still talking. This capability is designed to reduce the time between a meeting's conclusion and the start of the actual work.

These moves come as Anthropic prepares for its initial public offering next week. The company estimates that knowledge workers represent more than $40 trillion in economic value globally in 2025. They believe that making these workers more productive through frontier AI is a major near-term opportunity for the industry.

Market stakes and stability

The broader AI industry is currently watching several high-stakes developments. Anthropic's upcoming IPO could potentially value the company at $1.4 trillion. A strong debut on Wall Street would serve as a significant signal regarding the long-term prospects of the entire AI sector.

Meanwhile, Databricks remains a private company but recently reached a $190 billion valuation following a $5 billion funding round in August. These valuations highlight the massive amount of capital flowing into the infrastructure and tools that power the current AI boom.

The industry is also navigating internal leadership concerns following reports regarding Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Despite fears that these personal revelations could impact the company, Databricks' Ghodsi expressed confidence in Huang's leadership. He suggested that the AI revolution is too large to be derailed by individual leadership storms.