On May 22, 2025, Anthropic announced the release of its next-generation AI models: Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4. These models represent significant advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly in coding proficiency, complex reasoning, and autonomous agent capabilities.
Claude Opus 4: Pushing the Boundaries of AI
Claude Opus 4 stands as Anthropic's most powerful AI model to date. It excels in handling long-running tasks that require sustained focus, demonstrating the ability to operate continuously for several hours. This capability dramatically enhances what AI agents can accomplish, especially in complex coding and problem-solving scenarios.
Key features of Claude Opus 4 include:
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Superior Coding Performance: Achieves leading scores on benchmarks such as SWE-bench (72.5%) and Terminal-bench (43.2%), positioning it as the world's best coding model.
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Extended Operational Capacity: Capable of performing complex tasks over extended periods without degradation in performance.
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Hybrid Reasoning: Offers both near-instant responses and extended thinking modes, allowing for deeper reasoning when necessary.
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Agentic Capabilities: Powers sophisticated AI agents capable of managing multi-step workflows and complex decision-making processes.
Claude Sonnet 4: Balancing Performance and Efficiency
Claude Sonnet 4 serves as a more efficient counterpart to Opus 4, offering significant improvements over its predecessor, Sonnet 3.7. It delivers enhanced coding and reasoning capabilities while maintaining a balance between performance and cost-effectiveness.
Notable aspects of Claude Sonnet 4 include:
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Improved Coding Skills: Achieves a state-of-the-art 72.7% on SWE-bench, reflecting substantial enhancements in coding tasks.
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Enhanced Steerability: Offers greater control over implementations, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
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Optimized for High-Volume Use Cases: Ideal for tasks requiring efficiency and scalability, such as real-time customer support and routine development operations.
New Features and Capabilities
Anthropic has introduced several new features to enhance the functionality of the Claude 4 models:
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Extended Thinking with Tool Use (Beta): Both models can now utilize tools like web search during extended thinking sessions, allowing for more comprehensive responses.
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Parallel Tool Usage: The models can use multiple tools simultaneously, increasing efficiency in complex tasks.
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Improved Memory Capabilities: When granted access to local files, the models demonstrate significantly improved memory, extracting and saving key facts to maintain continuity over time.
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Claude Code Availability: Claude Code is now generally available, supporting background tasks via GitHub Actions and native integrations with development environments like VS Code and JetBrains.
Access and Pricing
Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 are accessible through various platforms, including the Anthropic API, Amazon Bedrock, and Google Cloud's Vertex AI. Pricing for Claude Opus 4 is set at $15 per million input tokens and $75 per million output tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4 is priced at $3 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. Prompt caching and batch processing options are available to reduce costs.
Safety and Ethical Considerations
In line with its commitment to responsible AI development, Anthropic has implemented stringent safety measures for the Claude 4 models. These include enhanced cybersecurity protocols, anti-jailbreak measures, and prompt classifiers designed to prevent misuse. The company has also activated its Responsible Scaling Policy (RSP), applying AI Safety Level 3 (ASL-3) safeguards to address potential risks associated with the deployment of powerful AI systems.
References
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"Introducing Claude 4" – Anthropic Anthropic
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"Claude Opus 4 - Anthropic" – Anthropic
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"Anthropic's Claude 4 models now available in Amazon Bedrock" – About Amazon About Amazon
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