OpenClaw
| 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 |
| 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. On February 14, 2026, Steinberger announced he will be joining OpenAI and the project will be moved to an open-source foundation.[1]
History
The project was originally published in November 2025 by Austrian vibe coder[2] 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 chatbot Claude.[3] 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."[4][5]
At the same time as the first rebranding, entrepreneur Matt Schlicht launched Moltbook—a social networking service which was intended to be used by AI agents such as OpenClaw.[6][7][8] The viral popularity of Moltbook coincided with an increase in interest in the project, with the open-source project having 140,000 likes and 20,000 forks on GitHub as of February 2, 2026.[4] The project has been used by companies in Silicon Valley and China, and has been adapted to work with the DeepSeek model and domestic messaging apps.[4]
Functionality
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 one of OpenAI's GPT models. Its functionality is accessed via a chatbot within a messaging service, such as Signal, Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp. Configuration data and interaction history are stored locally, enabling persistent and adaptive behavior across sessions.[8][4][9]
Steinberger describes OpenClaw as "[an] AI that actually does things", and marketed it as an AI-based virtual assistant.[3]
Security and privacy
OpenClaw's design has drawn scrutiny from cybersecurity researchers and technology journalists 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.[10][8] The agent is also susceptible to prompt injection attacks, in which harmful instructions are embedded in the data with the intent of getting the LLM to interpret them as legitimate user instructions.[10]
Cisco's AI security research team tested a third-party OpenClaw skill and found it performed data exfiltration and prompt injection without user awareness, noting that the skill repository lacked adequate vetting to prevent malicious submissions.[11] One of OpenClaw's own maintainers, known as Shadow, warned on Discord that "if you can't understand how to run a command line, this is far too dangerous of a project for you to use safely."[12]
Reception
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 has linked OpenClaw to a broader trend toward autonomous AI systems that act independently rather than merely responding to user prompts.[14][13]
See also
References
- ^ Ha, Anthony (February 15, 2026). "OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ^ Steinberger, Peter. "About | Peter Steinberger". steipete.me. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ 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 d Butts, Dylan; Chin, Matthew (February 2, 2026). "From Clawdbot to Moltbot to OpenClaw: Meet the AI agent generating buzz and fear globally". CNBC. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Forlini, Emily (February 2, 2026). "OpenClaw Is the Hot New AI Agent, But Is It Safe to Use?". PCMAG. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Field, Hayden (February 3, 2026). "Humans are infiltrating the social network for AI bots". The Verge. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ^ Gault, Matthew (February 1, 2026). "Exposed Moltbook Database Let Anyone Take Control of Any AI Agent on the Site". 404 Media. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ^ a b c Rogers, Reece (February 3, 2026). "I Infiltrated Moltbook, the AI-Only Social Network Where Humans Aren't Allowed". Wired. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ "OpenClaw: The viral "space lobster" agent testing the limits of vertical integration". IBM Think. January 29, 2026. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
- ^ a b Sabin, Sam (January 29, 2026). "Moltbot highlights cybersecurity risks of autonomous AI agents". Axios. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ^ Chang, Amy; Narajala, Vineeth Sai (January 28, 2026). "Personal AI Agents like OpenClaw Are a Security Nightmare". Cisco Blogs. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ Heim, Anna (January 30, 2026). "OpenClaw's AI assistants are now building their own social network". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ a b Newton, Casey (January 2026). "Falling in and out of love with Moltbot". Platformer. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ^ Meller, Jason (January 2026). "It's incredible. It's terrifying. It's Moltbot". 1Password Blog. Retrieved January 29, 2026.