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| OpenClaw | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Peter Steinberger |
| Initial release | November 2025 |
| Written in | TypeScript, Swift |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Type | Autonomous personal assistant |
| License | MIT license |
| Website | openclaw.ai |
| Repository | |
OpenClaw (formerly Clawdbot and Moltbot) is a free and open-source autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) agent developed by Peter Steinberger. It is an autonomous agent that can execute tasks via large language models, using messaging platforms as its main user interface.
OpenClaw achieved popularity in late-January 2026, credited to its open source nature and the viral popularity of the Moltbook project.
History
[edit]The project was originally published in November 2025 by Austrian software engineer Peter Steinberger, under the name Clawdbot; the software was derived from Clawd (now Molty), an AI-based virtual assistant that he had developed, which itself was named after Anthropic's Claude platform.[1] It was renamed "Moltbot" (keeping with a lobster theme) on January 27, 2026, following trademark complaints by Anthropic, and again to "OpenClaw" three days later after Steinberger found that the name Moltbot "never quite rolled off the tongue."[2][3]
Peter Steinberger (right) and co-host Tomas Taylor (left) backstage at ClawCon in San Francisco, February 4, 2026.
Alongside the first rebranding, entrepreneur Matt Schlicht launched Moltbook—a social networking service designed exclusively to be used by AI agents such as OpenClaw. The viral popularity of Moltbook, as well as OpenClaw's free and open-source (FOSS) licensing, increased interest in the project, leading it to amass over 145,000 stars and 20,000 forks on GitHub, and developed noted interest among companies in Silicon Valley and China (where developers adapted it to work with the DeepSeek model and domestic super-apps).[4][2][5]
On February 4, 2026, the project held its inaugural community meetup, "ClawCon," at Frontier Tower in San Francisco.[6] The event served as the first physical gathering for the OpenClaw developer community following the software's growth in early 2026.[7]
Functionality
[edit]OpenClaw serves as an agentic interface for autonomous workflows across supported services. OpenClaw bots run locally and are designed to integrate with an external large language model such as Claude, DeepSeek, or OpenAI's GPT. Its functionality is accessed via a chatbot within a messaging service, such as Signal, Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp. Configuration data and interaction history is stored locally, enabling persistent and adaptive behavior across sessions.[4][2][8][5]
Steinberger describes OpenClaw as "[an] AI that actually does things", and marketed it as an AI-based virtual assistant.[1]
Security and privacy
[edit]OpenClaw's design has drawn scrutiny from cybersecurity researchers and technology journalists[which?] due to the broad permissions it requires to function effectively. Because the software can access email accounts, calendars, messaging platforms, and other sensitive services, misconfigured or exposed instances present security and privacy risks.[9]
Several articles[which?] have emphasized that OpenClaw is primarily suited for advanced users who understand the security implications of running autonomous agents with elevated access.[9]
Security researchers[who?] have warned that the extensible nature of the architecture introduces supply chain risks, as compromised or poorly audited modules could enable privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution.[10] Due to these concerns, some security guidance[which?] has recommended operating OpenClaw in isolated sandbox environments and avoiding connections to production systems or accounts containing sensitive credentials.[10]
Concerns
[edit]The Forbes article "Moltbot Gets Another New Name, OpenClaw, And Triggers Security Fears And Scams" documented instances of fraudulent websites and unauthorized distributions claiming to offer the software.[11]
Some commentary[which?] emphasized that while the tool itself is open source and developed with legitimate purposes, its powerful capabilities could be misused if deployed without appropriate security measures or understanding of the risks involved.[9][12]
Reception
[edit]A review in Platformer cited OpenClaw's flexibility and open-source licensing as strengths while cautioning that its complexity and security risks limit its suitability for casual users.[13]
Technology commentary[which?] has linked OpenClaw to a broader trend toward autonomous AI systems that act independently rather than merely responding to user prompts.[12][13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Heim, Anna (January 28, 2026). "Everything you need to know about viral personal AI assistant Clawdbot (now Moltbot)". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ a b c Chin, Dylan Butts,Matthew (February 2, 2026). "From Clawdbot to Moltbot to OpenClaw: Meet the AI agent generating buzz and fear globally". CNBC. Versant. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Forlini, Emily (February 2, 2026). "OpenClaw Is the Hot New AI Agent, But Is It Safe to Use?". PCMAG. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ a b Rogers, Reece (February 3, 2026). "I Infiltrated Moltbook, the AI-Only Social Network Where Humans Aren't Allowed". Wired. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ a b Pandey, Nikhil, ed. (January 31, 2026). "Your Moltbook Questions Answered: What The Platform Is And What It's Not". NDTV. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ "ClawCon 2026: The First OpenClaw Show & Tell". ClawCon. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ @msg (February 4, 2026). "Discussion of OpenClaw community growth at ClawCon SF". X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ "OpenClaw: The viral "space lobster" agent testing the limits of vertical integration". IBM Think. January 29, 2026. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
- ^ a b c "Moltbot highlights cybersecurity risks of autonomous AI agents". Axios. January 29, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ^ a b Jonas, Tobias (January 28, 2026). "OpenClaw: When AI Agents Get Full System Access – Revolution or Security Nightmare?". innFactory AI Consulting. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ Schmelzer, Ron. "Moltbot Gets Another New Name, OpenClaw, And Triggers Security Fears And Scams". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 31, 2026. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ a b "It's incredible. It's terrifying. It's Moltbot". 1Password Blog. January 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ^ a b "Falling in and out of love with Moltbot". Platformer. January 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.