There’s a new player in the AI game, Anthropic, standing tall behind only OpenAI in size. Anthropic boasts a robust lineup of generative AI models dubbed Claude, each with unique abilities ranging from captioning images to tackling complex math and coding challenges. Keeping track of the myriad capabilities of these models can be a daunting task as the ecosystem expands rapidly. To simplify things, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to Claude, constantly updating it to keep pace with the arrival of new models and upgrades.
Claude models
The Claude family comprises models, each named after literary masterpieces such as Haiku, Sonnet, and Opus. The latest additions include:
- Claude 3.5 Haiku: a lightweight model
- Claude 3.5 Sonnet: a midrange model
- Claude 3 Work: Anthropic’s flagship model
Interestingly, despite being labeled a "midrange" model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet currently reigns as the most capable model within the Claude lineup. However, this status quo is expected to shift once the forthcoming Claude 3.5 Opus version hits the market.
All Claude models possess text analysis capabilities, extending to images, charts, graphs, and technical diagrams found in documents. With a standard 200,000-token context window, these models excel in executing multistep instructions, utilizing tools like stock tickers, and delivering structured output formats like JSON.
Model pricing
Anthropic offers the Claude models through its API and managed platforms like Amazon Bedrock and Google Cloud’s Vertex AI. Here’s a breakdown of the Anthropic API pricing for the Claude models:
- Claude 3.5 Haiku: 25 cents per million input tokens or $1.25 per million output tokens
- Claude 3.5 Sonnet: $3 per million input tokens or $15 per million output tokens
- Claude 3 Work: $15 per million input tokens or $75 per million output tokens
Additional runtime savings are provided through prompt caching and batching methods. Prompt caching enables developers to store reusable "prompt contexts," while batching involves processing asynchronous groups of low-priority model inference requests.
Claude plans and apps
For individuals and businesses seeking to interact with Claude models via web, Android, and iOS apps, Anthropic presents a free Claude plan with rate limits and usage restrictions. Upgrading to a subscription plan eliminates these constraints and unlocks an array of new features:
- Claude Pro: $20 monthly, with 5x higher rate limits, priority access, and previews of upcoming features
- Team: $30 per user monthly, equipped with a billing control dashboard, integrations with data repositories, and toggled citations to validate AI-generated claims
Both Pro and Team subscribers gain access to Projects, grounding Claude’s outputs in knowledge bases. Artifacts, a workspace for editing and adding to Claude-generated content, is also available to free-tier users and subscribers alike.
For enterprises requiring advanced capabilities, Claude Enterprise offers the ability to upload proprietary data for analysis. This package includes a larger context window, GitHub integration, and access to Projects and Artifacts features.
A word of caution
Like all generative AI systems, using Claude carries risks. Models may occasionally err in summarizing or answering queries due to hallucination tendencies. Trained on public web data, Claude models could encounter copyrighted or restricted content, prompting fair-use challenges. While Anthropic provides safeguards against legal battles, the inherent ethical dilemmas of using such models persist.
As the AI landscape continues to evolve, it’s crucial to navigate these advancements with caution and consideration for the ethical implications that may ensue.
