More Than Just Coding! How Anthropic’s Internal Teams Take Claude Code to the Next Level

Think AI coding tools are only for engineers? Not anymore. Anthropic recently published an internal document detailing how teams from legal to marketing to product design are using Claude Code to dramatically boost efficiency and solve problems previously thought unsolvable. This isn’t just a user manual—it’s a sneak peek into the future of work. Ready to see how a top AI company uses its own product internally?

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When we think of AI coding tools, we might picture an engineer staring at a screen while an AI autocompletes lines of code. But what if I told you that at Anthropic, even legal and marketing teams are building custom tools with Claude Code? Sounds unbelievable, right?

Anthropic’s newly released internal document, How Anthropic teams use Claude Code, reads more like a playbook of AI integration than a tech report. It unveils how both technical and non-technical teams embed Claude Code into their workflows—not just for speed, but to transform how they work.

This isn’t a dry tech document. It’s packed with real-world stories and practical insights. Let’s dive into how Anthropic’s “power users” are pushing the limits of AI collaboration.

Data Infrastructure Team: AI as Your Supercharged SysAdmin

The Data Infrastructure team manages all internal business data at Anthropic—a complex and heavy responsibility. Beyond regular data engineering, they tackle thorny system issues. Enter Claude Code, their go-to assistant:

• Debugging Kubernetes with a screenshot? Yes, really. Instead of manually diagnosing problems in Kubernetes clusters, the team feeds screenshots of dashboards into Claude Code. Claude helps pinpoint the issue step-by-step, even suggesting commands to resolve things like exhausted Pod IPs—tasks that used to require network specialists.
• Empowering non-technical users to interact with data: The finance team needs access to data but lacks coding skills. No problem—they just describe their needs in plain English, like “Query this dashboard and generate an Excel report.” Claude translates these requests into automated workflows. This breaks down traditional technical silos.
• The ultimate onboarding guide: For new data scientists, understanding a sprawling codebase is a daunting task. Now, they just feed team documentation into Claude and ask, “Which files do I need to look at for this task?” Claude maps out the dependencies and gives a guided tour through the data pipelines, speeding up onboarding tremendously.

Product Development Team: From Human-AI Collaboration to AI-First Prototyping

The team behind Claude Code doesn’t just build it—they use it heavily themselves. They demonstrate two distinct AI collaboration models:

• Rapid prototyping (asynchronous mode): For experimental or non-core features, engineers use “auto-accept mode.” They give Claude a high-level task, then step back while it drafts, tests, and iterates on its own. Engineers return for final polishing. With this method, Claude developed 70% of a Vim mode feature in just a few iterations.
• Core feature development (synchronous mode): For business-critical features, the team works closely with Claude in real time. They provide precise instructions and review outputs instantly to ensure code quality and adherence to architecture. It’s like pairing a senior engineer with an ultra-fast intern—a perfect blend of human expertise and AI efficiency.

Security Engineering Team: AI as a 24/7 Cybersecurity Analyst

In security, every second counts. Delays can be costly. Claude Code has become an invaluable tool for Anthropic’s security team:

• Incident response time cut from 15 to 5 minutes: Tracing code control flow used to take 10–15 minutes. Now, they feed stack traces and docs to Claude and get an analysis in minutes.
• Streamlined code reviews: When reviewing Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) changes, like Terraform plans, the team simply asks Claude, “Is this going to break anything? Will I regret it?” This makes security reviews faster and more intuitive.

Legal Team: When Lawyers Start Coding

Perhaps the most surprising section of the document is how Anthropic’s legal team—professionals with no coding background—use Claude Code to solve real problems.

• Building assistive tools for family: One team member used Claude Code to build a predictive text app in under an hour to help a family member with speech difficulties. The app suggests replies based on voice-to-text input and reads them aloud, filling gaps that existing assistive tools couldn’t address.
• Automating internal workflows: They even built a prototype phone tree system to help team members quickly find the right legal contact. Projects that once needed engineering support can now be built independently by the legal team.

The Real Success Factor: A Shift in Mindset, Not Just Tools

The secret to Anthropic’s success isn’t just the power of Claude Code—it’s how the teams think about working with AI. Here’s what makes their approach work:

1. Plan first, execute second: Many teams start with brainstorming and planning in Claude.ai’s chat interface. Once ideas are clear, they generate structured prompts and move to Claude Code for execution.
2. Treat AI as a collaborative partner, not a one-shot solution: Don’t expect perfection in one go. Iterate, revise, and communicate with Claude like you would with a smart colleague.
3. Visual input is king: Especially for non-technical teams, screenshots are essential. Showing what you want works far better than explaining it with words.
4. Share unfinished prototypes boldly: The legal team emphasized embracing early, imperfect projects. These “rough drafts” often spark cross-team innovation.

Conclusion: AI as a Universal Empowerment Tool

Anthropic is redefining the workplace: AI is no longer the exclusive domain of engineers—it’s a superpower for everyone. No matter your role or industry, this document proves that with the right approach, AI can help you overcome skill barriers and focus on strategic, creative work.