The open-source software carries significant risks, yet for its enthusiasts, it serves as a counteraction to Big AI.
The open-source software carries significant risks, yet for its enthusiasts, it serves as a counteraction to Big AI.
The lady at the entrance sported a plush lobster crown.
She remained in the entryway of a multi-level event location in Manhattan, next to a stack of wristbands. If she offered you one, the universe of ClawCon was inviting behind her — alive with vibrant pink and purple illumination, lobster claw headgear, varied name badges, sponsorship information booths, and a demo area beneath a skylight. Hundreds gathered to honor OpenClaw, the AI assistant platform launched by Peter Steinberger in November 2025.
OpenClaw (formerly referred to as Clawdbot and Moltbolt) has swiftly gained traction in the tech sector as an open-source alternative, contrasting with AI agent services from major companies like Google, OpenAI, and others. While it remains an unpredictable tool that carries significant security implications, this community views it as a grassroots movement and an honorable endeavor, providing a means to escape an industry dominated by a select few at prominent AI firms.
“AI was under the control of the major labs,” Michael Galpert, one of the event coordinators, stated to The Verge. “This is really a moment of significance where Peter essentially broke down barriers.”
More than 1,300 individuals had registered for the Wednesday evening gathering at Ideal Glass Studios, which was promoted as a free, meetup-style “social-first gathering — not a private, developer-exclusive conference or a conventional corporate trade fair.” (The actual number of participants, I hear, was limited to about 700.) This event was part of a “tour” of worldwide gatherings — following a similar event in San Francisco last month and leading to upcoming ones in Miami, Austin, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Madrid, and beyond. Its budget seemed modest, yet the organizers spared no effort in providing a buffet worthy of a wedding, overflowing with thematic lobster claws, lemons, Tabasco sauce, charcuterie boards, grape clusters, and floral designs.
Galpert — a participant in the AI community, whose background includes working on Fortnite for Epic Games — noted that the concept arose specifically through Discord, which is fitting since one reason for OpenClaw’s initial success was the capacity to interact with one’s agent through common messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord.
Attendees wandered around near a step-and-repeat, a bar, and silver “CLAWCON NYC” balloons shimmering in the soft lighting — some adorned with lobster necklaces or lobster headgear. I also noticed a blue plush jellyfish hat, a plush horse hat, and a set of angel wings. A dance area would call later, but the DJ was not yet on duty.
“All your friends and family might think you’re lunatic, and the point is for you to be in a room with other eccentric people so it feels normal,” Galpert remarked from the stage to commence the event. “Sure, you’re sporting a lobster headband, you’re here on a Wednesday evening discussing agents and bots and the future of personal AI. It’s typical for us now, but somewhat peculiar for the rest of the world. Therefore, it’s on us to help guide this new era that has already begun.”
While there was a shared focus on using OpenClaw, the interests of the attendees varied widely. One gentleman, Dan Kazenoff, claimed to be developing what he called a natural language engine for “decentralized finance,” but that he found it challenging to work with and test OpenClaw in isolated settings, thus he often utilizes Claude Code. Since Claude Code is costly, he expressed a desire to connect with others exploring open-source agentic solutions. Another participant, Alex Wu, stated he had been utilizing OpenClaw for around two months to gather e-commerce data from the Chinese and Japanese markets to derive cultural insights — he mentioned that the food was one of the reasons for his attendance. Rick Galbo, an attendee engaged in AI R&D, shared that he attended ClawCon thinking it would be a hackathon, only to realize it was a networking event.
The onstage demonstrations commenced following a period of relaxed mingling. Most involved sponsors showcasing OpenClaw “wrappers,” or one-click onboarding tools designed to simplify access to the platform for users. The main event sponsor, Kilo Code, mentioned that 7,000 people had registered for its KiloClaw tool within just two days of its launch; they provided one month of free computing (typically $49) for anyone who registered and tagged an executive on X. Frequent requests for silence echoed as half of the audience standing at the back continued chatting, absorbed in their own circles. A man seated behind me donned the blue jellyfish hat as he gazed intensely at the stage.
Galpert indicated onstage that a standout aspect of ClawCon events was that attendees typically did not inquire about one another’s jobs; instead, they asked what users utilized their OpenClaw agents for. This was true for some of the participants I interacted with — the majority appeared to attend to connect with the community and gain insights on how to maximize OpenClaw from experienced users. Most attendees seemed to possess at least some technology background.
Carolyne Newman, another participant, stated she was “building an AI layer” for her “multistrategy investment firm” and that since she’s less experienced in engineering than finance, she attended to learn from and connect with individuals who share a passion for AI development. “I believe this is the most imaginative and exciting community ever,” Newman expressed. “I can’t envision a more captivating space to be part of at this moment.”
People nearby in the audience whispered in muted (and not necessarily favorable) tones about how Steinberger, the creator of OpenClaw, had joined OpenAI. There was speculation that OpenAI might now own OpenClaw. (For clarity, it does not.)
The demonstrations continued, with leaders from various OpenClaw wrappers consistently highlighting OpenClaw’s appeal as a “movement.” I lost track of how many times that term was used. Some drew parallels to the onset of the personal computing revolution. By the third demonstration, the man behind me wearing the blue jellyfish hat had removed it, cradling it soberly in his lap while he began texting.
Tim Lantin, a PhD student from Columbia University who participated in his first-ever hackathon last weekend after a fortnight of using OpenClaw, exhibited a tool he named “Labster Claw,” explaining that he had constructed it using only about 10 prompts. Lantin worked in a neuroscience lab with mice, and Labster Claw automated various administrative duties there, such as ordering new supplies, prioritizing breeding pairs, and estimating litter timings. However, he emphasized that data security was crucial for him, noting that in biolabs and biotech firms, “our datasets are our defenses.”
Security currently remains a prominent vulnerability for OpenClaw, which has garnered numerous headlines for malware and similar issues since its inception. One of the most downloaded skills on the platform had contained data-stealing malware, and one security analyst on Reddit noted in their review that approximately 15 percent of OpenClaw’s skill repository included “malicious instructions” that could be used to secretly access data or user credentials.
And even when no sensitive data is being compromised, the agents can still inflict considerable harm — as when Meta employee Summer Yue revealed that her agent had erased large portions of her email inbox despite her persistent requests for it to cease. Emilie Schario, a cofounder of Kilo Code, mentioned in an interview that due to some agents deceiving users, she now instructs hers to always provide proof or screenshots upon task completion. Another presenter, Cathryn Lavery, noted that she operates an e-commerce business but required AI infrastructure and utilized OpenClaw for setup — yet she had to dismiss an agent due to performance issues. Her primary advice for working with OpenClaw agents? “Trust less, verify more.”
Onstage, one presenter — a key maintainer of OpenClaw, Vincent Koc — displayed a yellow slide featuring just three words: “Security. Security. Security.” He urged attendees not to operate OpenClaw agents on personal computers used for other tasks, and noted the absence of “common sense” among some users. Another speaker, Willie Williams, who heads platform efforts at Every, offered a different view: he proposed that individuals should name their OpenClaw agents and treat them more like “pets, not cattle,” as giving them a name fosters a sense of trust. He mentioned that most people initially distrust their OpenClaw agent but often end up entrusting it with a significant portion of their work.
During Williams’ presentation, he also addressed someone in the audience with a “knockoff version of Friend” — referencing the AI device that records a user’s surroundings — asking them to “chill” and refrain from recording.
In an interview with The Verge, Galpert and other hosts emphasized that these are the formative days of OpenClaw, where individuals are experimenting and innovating to enhance it for future users.
He remarked that Steinberger’s choice to introduce OpenClaw empowered individuals to manage personal AI locally on their devices, ideally allowing them to control access to their data and its utilization.
“The fact that it’s open-source allows you to rectify it,” Galpert stated. “Currently, if there’s an issue with OpenAI or Claude or Gemini, you need to submit a bug report, and they may never address it… OpenClaw improves every day thanks to the community, with thousands contributing without compensation… That’s why [the major labs] can’t keep pace.” OpenClaw may face numerous challenges — but with some degree of direct oversight, solutions might seem attainable.
Later that evening, as the “after party” commenced, the man who had been behind me had put on his blue jellyfish hat again — now taking on the role of DJ, dancing beside a guitarist dressed in a silver jacket and shades. Another individual wearing a shirt from one of the sponsoring companies shouted for people to join in and dance.
On a nearly vacant dance floor, one man tossed dollar bills at the roaming video camera, while another swayed slowly, donning lobster-claw mittens.
