Anthropic tests always-on Conway agent environment

Anthropic is transitioning from building a chatbot to building an autonomous "AI Operating System" where Claude functions as a background-running, persistent employee. Webhook support allows for true event-driven AI, where system events like GitHub updates or CRM changes can trigger complex agent workflows without user intervention. The new .cnw.zip extension format suggests a standardized framework for custom agent UIs and tools, potentially establishing a dominant ecosystem for third-party agent apps. Native browser integration via Chrome provides a more stable foundation for long-horizon web automation compared to current pixel-based computer-use models. Deep coupling with Claude Code indicates a focus on high-reliability developer workflows, including autonomous repository maintenance and 24/7 CI/CD monitoring. Currently in research preview, the platform signals the move from experimental "agentic" loops to production-grade, persistent autonomous infrastructure.