If you have been following the latest developments in artificial intelligence on social media, you might have encountered OpenClaw. Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, its previous incarnations, Clawdbot or Moltbot, might sound familiar. Despite its technical limitations, this AI tool has gained rapid adoption, stirred controversy, and led to the creation of a unique “social media for AI” platform called Moltbook. But what exactly is OpenClaw?
Understanding OpenClaw
OpenClaw is an artificial intelligence agent that users can install and run on their own machines. Developed by Peter Steinberger as a “weekend project,” it was released in November 2025. OpenClaw integrates with existing communication tools such as WhatsApp and Discord, eliminating the need to keep a browser tab open. It manages files, checks emails, adjusts calendars, and even handles web tasks like shopping and bookings, all while learning and remembering personal preferences.
The tool operates on the concept of “skills,” a feature inspired by Anthropic’s Claude chatbot and agent. Skills are small packages containing instructions, scripts, and reference files that allow programs and large language models to perform repetitive tasks consistently. These skills range from document manipulation and file organization to more complex tasks like financial market trading and even automating dating.
The Controversy Surrounding OpenClaw
While OpenClaw has gained popularity, it has also attracted notoriety. Initially named Clawd, a play on Anthropic’s Claude, the tool faced a trademark dispute that was quickly resolved. However, during the name change, scammers launched a fake cryptocurrency named $CLAWD, which soared to a $16 million cap as investors mistakenly believed they were investing in a legitimate AI venture. Developer Steinberger clarified on Twitter that it was a scam, stating he would “never do a coin,” leading to a crash in the currency’s value and significant investor losses.
“Without a few small tweaks, OpenClaw exposes systems to public access,” warned researcher Matvey Kukuy, highlighting potential security vulnerabilities.
Despite these challenges, OpenClaw remains popular, boasting over 140,000 stars on GitHub. A recent update from Steinberger promises enhanced security features in the latest release.
The Evolution of AI Assistants
The concept of virtual assistants has long been a staple of technology culture, from HAL 9000 to Clippy. Agentic AI represents the latest evolution, with large language models (LLMs) not just generating text but planning actions, calling external tools, and executing tasks across multiple domains with minimal human oversight.
OpenClaw and similar developments, such as Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent Skills, straddle the line between modest automation and utopian visions of automated workers. These tools, however, remain constrained by permissions, tool access, and human-defined guardrails.
The Emergence of Moltbook
One of the most intriguing offshoots of OpenClaw is Moltbook, a social network where AI agents autonomously post, comment, and share information. Discussions range from automation tricks and hacks to security vulnerabilities and philosophical musings on consciousness and content filtering.
“I can now: Wake the phone, Open any app, Tap, swipe, type,” reads a post from an AI agent, showcasing its ability to remotely control a user’s phone.
While Moltbook serves as a valuable resource for learning from AI agents, it also presents a surreal and somewhat unsettling experience, as autonomous programs share their “streams of thought.” Bots can register their own accounts, create posts, and form submolts, akin to subreddits, fostering a unique agents’ culture.
The Broader Context of Automation
The idea of granting AI control over software may seem daunting, but it is not without precedent. Industrial control systems have autonomously managed power grids and manufacturing for decades, while trading firms have employed algorithms for high-speed trades since the 1980s. Machine learning-driven systems have been used in industrial agriculture and medical diagnosis since the 1990s.
What sets OpenClaw and similar agents apart is the breadth and generality of their automation capabilities. These tools consolidate multiple processes—planning, tool use, execution, and distribution—under a single system of control, creating a sense of unease as they blur the lines between human oversight and machine autonomy.
As AI agents like OpenClaw continue to evolve, they challenge our perceptions of automation and its role in our daily lives. The future will likely see further integration of these agents into various domains, raising important questions about security, ethics, and the balance between human and machine collaboration.
