How OpenClaw, an AI agent, takes over your computer

Through several name changes, adoption across Silicon Valley to Beijing, and mounting controversy, the open-source AI agent now known as “OpenClaw” has emerged as one of the most talked-about tools in the artificial intelligence space this year. Previously called Clawdbot and Moltbot, the AI agent was launched just weeks ago by Austrian software developer Peter Steinberger. Early adopters of OpenClaw have expressed a mix of enthusiasm and unease about its abilities. For example, some AI experts have argued that the agent is overhyped, citing its complex installation, high computational demands, and competition from other available AI agents. Many proponents, on the other hand, report saving hours weekly on routine tasks, dubbing it “AI with hands” and a major leap forward toward artificial general intelligence — a theoretical AI capable of performing intellectual tasks at or above the human level. Caption from article by Dylan Butts, CNBC. Supported by funding from Omidyar Network.