🧠 What Happened (Straightforward Explanation)
1) Origins: Clawdbot
- The project started as Clawdbot, an open-source AI assistant that runs autonomously on your own server or machine.
- It gained viral attention in tech communities because it can:
2) Name Change to Moltbot
- Due to trademark concerns raised by Anthropic (the company behind Claude), the original name Clawdbot conflicted with Anthropic’s branding.
- The creator renamed the project Moltbot.
- The functionality remained the same — only the name and branding were changed.
3) Repository Move to OpenClaw
- The project’s GitHub repository formerly under “moltbot” is now housed under a new GitHub organization called OpenClaw.
- This means OpenClaw is the current official home of the code and ongoing development.
⚙️ What the Tool Does Today
Moltbot / OpenClaw is essentially:
- An AI agent framework that runs locally or on a server (VPS).
- Connects to messaging platforms to provide always-on interaction.
- Integrates with APIs (email, calendars, drive, etc.) to execute tasks.
- Supports different large models (not limited to Claude).
It’s more than a chatbot — it acts as an automated assistant.
🚨 Security & Risk — Updated (as of today)
Recent reports from cybersecurity researchers emphasize:
- Security risks exist if deployed carelessly.
- Many early adopters exposed dashboards and control panels without passwords.
- Instances have been found on the open internet exposing:
- If misconfigured, attackers might gain access to sensitive systems.
This aligns with the creator’s own warnings that the tool is experimental and not ready for production by non-technical users.
📈 Adoption Status
As of today:
- The project continues receiving attention and forks.
- Community contributions are increasing.
- Discussions around best practices, safety guides, and deployment patterns are active on GitHub and social media.
- People experiment with integrating Moltbot/OpenClaw into workflows, but most deployments are still technical and early-stage.
📍 Timeline
- Clawdbot (original)
- Moltbot (rebrand)
- OpenClaw (current)
📌 Key Takeaways
✔ It’s the same underlying project, evolving names as needed.✔ The active development is now under OpenClaw on GitHub.✔ The tool is powerful but technically demanding and risky if misconfigured.✔ Adoption is real but not mainstream-ready — mainly for developers and experienced users.