The latest versions of Anthropic’s Claude generative AI models made their debut Thursday, including a heavier-duty model built specifically for coding and complex tasks.

Anthropic launched the new Claude 4 Opus and Claude 4 Sonnet models during its Code with Claude developer conference and executives said the new tools mark a significant step forward in terms of reasoning and deep thinking skills.

The company launched the prior model, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, in February. Since then, competing AI developers have also upped their game. OpenAI released GPT-4.1 in April, with an emphasis on an expanded context window, along with the new o3 reasoning model family. Google followed in early May with an updated version of Gemini 2.5 Pro that it said is better at coding.

Claude 4 Opus is a larger, more resource-intensive model built to handle particularly difficult challenges. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said test users have seen it quickly handle tasks that might have taken a person several hours to complete. 

«In many ways, as we’re often finding with large models, the benchmarks don’t fully do justice to it,» he said during the keynote event.

Claude 4 Sonnet is a leaner model, with improvements built on Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet model. The 3.7 model often had problems with overeagerness and sometimes did more than the person asked it to do, Amodei said. While it’s a less resource-intensive model, it still performs well, he said. 

«It actually does just as well as Opus on some of the coding benchmarks, but I think it’s leaner and more narrowly focused,» Amodei said.

Anthropic said the models have a new capability, still being beta tested, in which they can use tools like web searches while engaged in extended reasoning. The models can alternate between reasoning and using tools to get better responses to complex queries.

The models offer near-instant response modes and extended thinking modes. 

All of the paid plans offer Opus and Sonnet models, while the free plan just has the Sonnet model.

The new models show Anthropic’s focus on building strong coding models, said Arun Chandrasekaran, a distinguished vice president, analyst at Gartner. «Anthropic’s Claude models have established strong leadership in the software engineering domain and the latest Claude 4 release extends that leadership.»

Anthropic triggers safety protocols with new Claude models

In launching the Claude Opus 4 model, Anthropic said it was taking increased safety precautions to reduce the risk of Claude being misused. In a blog post, the company said it hasn’t determined whether the model actually requires the protections of its ASL-3 standard but it is doing so as a precaution. 

The safety precautions are specifically designed to prevent Claude from helping with developing chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons. Anthropic said it limited attacks known as universal jailbreaks that let attackers get around existing protocols.  «We will continue to evaluate Claude Opus 4’s CBRN capabilities,» Anthropic’s blog post said. «If we conclude that Claude Opus 4 has not surpassed the relevant Capability Threshold, then we may remove or adjust the ASL-3 protections.»

Chandrasekaran said the implementation of safety standards is worth noting. «This includes enhanced cybersecurity measures and prompt classifiers to mitigate risks associated with powerful AI systems,» he said. The new models show the company’s focus on balancing new technology with safety, he said.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle put a certain song about footwear in my head. If you like to guess vowels first, this is the word for you. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has one repeated letter.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer, but one is the repeated letter, so you will see that one twice.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter S.

Wordle hint No. 4: Elvis

Today’s Wordle answer appears in the title of a famous Elvis Presley song.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to leather with a napped surface.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is SUEDE.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, May 23, No. 1434 was SHUCK.

Recent Wordle answers

May 19, No. 1430: PITCH

May 20, No. 1431: BORNE

May 21, No. 1432: ALARM

May 22, No. 1433: FOLIO

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Connections: Sports Edition might be tough today. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Think Memphis or Nashville.

Green group hint: Keeping track of the stats.

Blue group hint: Won the big game.

Purple group hint: Football is life!

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Tennessee pro teams.

Green group: Baseball stat abbreviations.

Blue group: Last four teams to win a Super Bowl.

Purple group: Soccer «cups.»

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is Tennessee pro teams. The four answers are Grizzlies, Nashville SC, Predators and Titans.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is baseball stat abbreviations. The four answers are HR, PA, SO and WHIP.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is last four teams to win a Super Bowl. The four answers are Buccaneers, Chiefs, Eagles and Rams.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is soccer «cups.» The four answers are Carabao, FA, MLS and World.