OpenClaw exploded in popularity, amassing over 190,000 GitHub stars and becoming one of the platform’s most starred repositories. Created by Austrian developer Peter Steinberger, the tool allows users to deploy customizable AI agents that can interact across WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, and more — leveraging models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Grok.

But experts argue the technology isn’t fundamentally new. Critics describe OpenClaw as largely a “wrapper” that stitches together existing AI models with expanded access and automation tools. Its real innovation lies in usability and integration — making it easier for agents to perform tasks autonomously.

That ease of access fueled viral adoption, but it also raised serious concerns about oversight and control.