October 25, 2026 · 8-minute read · Economics
My bet is that Claude Duet has to sell the value of work prepared without repeatedly calling its owner back. Finding more work can leave the user worse off if it creates more review and approval. I use a model called 'three costs' to put compute and human attention in the same decision.
Even a check every few hours consumes your allowance
Anthropic says Duet checks connected accounts every few hours because nonstop checking would exhaust plan limits faster. The US Pro and Max waitlist preview shares Claude's existing allowance, including background checks. Announcement
I read that as an opportunity cost. Resources spent discovering that nothing needs doing were resources available for drafting something useful. A feature can consume your budget without adding a charge to your bill.
I'd start with preparation that can wait until later in the day. Work whose value disappears after a few minutes needs a separate alert. Before asking an agent to check more often, decide what you're willing to do less of. Silence alone doesn't tell you how little the agent costs: checks can happen without a notification.