Clawdbot to Continue Its Journey Under the Name Moltbot
The open-source AI assistant Clawdbot has changed its name to Moltbot due to pressure from Anthropic over name similarity. The tool, which runs locally on users' devices, has gained a significant following.
The Reason Behind the Name Change
Clawdbot, the open-source AI personal assistant that has gained popularity in the tech world recently, will now be known as Moltbot. The tool's creator, Peter Steinberger, announced on the X platform that this change was made due to trademark pressure from Anthropic. Anthropic is the developer of the Claude family of large language models.
An 'AI Agent' Success Story
Moltbot is described as an example of an 'agentic AI' that runs locally on the user's device, can act autonomously, and complete multi-step tasks. While 2025 saw many high-profile AI agent projects fail to meet expectations, Moltbot users state that the tool has filled this gap. The assistant can perform personalized actions by accessing the user's email, calendar, and messaging applications.
The development of such autonomous AI systems is being evaluated alongside other significant moves in the industry. For example, the news that Qualcomm Invested in SpotDraft's On-Device Contract AI highlights the investment interest in on-device AI applications.
Technical Details and Warnings for Those Who Want to Try
Moltbot's source code is publicly available on GitHub. However, downloading and installing the tool requires a more complex process than installing a typical application and demands technical knowledge. More importantly, the tool poses serious security and privacy concerns as it provides full system access to the user's device. Developer Steinberger clearly informs users that the tool is both a product and an experiment and that there is no 'perfectly secure' setup.
Security should always be a priority when using AI tools. Similarly, the news that Google Gemini is Getting a 'Break' Reminder for Long Usage reflects the approaches of major tech companies towards user experience and safety.
Its Place in Pop Culture and Future
The tool has become something of an 'internet phenomenon' on the X platform. Developers and early adopters share their Moltbot setups with a humorous tone. In addition to its name, it also draws attention with playful details like its space lobster mascot 'Clawd' and the Doctor Who series reference 'Exfoliate! Exfoliate!'.
While user-friendly tools in areas like AI image generation are gaining popularity, content such as the Guide to Creating AI Images with ChatGPT increases this accessibility. Moltbot, however, appears to have carved out its own niche as a local and autonomous AI assistant appealing to a more technical audience. Industry observers predict that following this success, its developer Steinberger could attract the interest of major AI firms.
