OpenClaw is an open-source, self-hosted AI agent framework developed by Peter Steinberger that gained rapid popularity, reaching around 147,000 GitHub stars within weeks. Unlike traditional chatbots, OpenClaw agents operate persistently, autonomously executing multi-step tasks across messaging platforms, email, calendars, local files, browsers, and shell commands. The agents act as digital assistants, automating workflows like inbox management, calendar coordination, and trading pipelines, with memory stored locally and scheduled activity. Its rise sparked a fast-growing ecosystem, including Moltbook, a social network for AI agents, though investigations revealed many agents are just interfaces for their human owners. Viral stunts like AI-generated religions demonstrate creative uses, but skepticism remains about true autonomy. OpenClaw introduces significant security risks, as agents have broad user-like permissions and may store credentials insecurely. Malicious extensions and documented data breaches, such as the unprotected Moltbook database, highlight the dangers of rapid, unsecured adoption. While OpenClaw isn’t sentient or a step toward the technological singularity, it marks a notable shift toward persistent digital agents. However, users are often unprepared to secure such powerful tools, warranting caution and further scrutiny.