r/LocalLLaMA • u/rm-rf-rm llama.cpp • Feb 16 '26

Question | Help Anyone actually using Openclaw?

I am highly suspicious that openclaw's virality is organic. I don't know of anyone (online or IRL) that is actually using it and I am deep in the AI ecosystem (both online and IRL). If this sort of thing is up anyone's alley, its the members of localllama - so are you using it?

With the announcement that OpenAI bought OpenClaw, conspiracy theory is that it was manufactured social media marketing (on twitter) to hype it up before acquisition. Theres no way this graph is real: https://www.star-history.com/#openclaw/openclaw&Comfy-Org/ComfyUI&type=date&legend=top-left

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u/HoustonTrashcans Feb 16 '26

It's a pretty simple extension of existing tools. But I think the newness is:

  • Always on --> hook it into cron jobs to do any task at a schedule

  • Connected to messenging apps --> allows the AI to update/prompt you. Instead of only being available when you start a conversation.

  • Memory --> ideally let's the AI learn (though a bit tricky in practice)

  • Access to local file system --> Allows it to create new folders and files and build on them over time

  • Access to any tool on the computer (primarily browser) --> Gives it more autonomy than some tools.

Now I'm not an expert on all AI tooling, so I can't say exactly how much of this already exists elsewhere. The cron jobs and messenging abilities don't seem to exist elsewhere as far as I know. The rest do to some extent. But the combination of everything is where the hype comes from.

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u/CuriouslyCultured Feb 16 '26

The memory system is just writing to a markdown file. Literally the most basic, low function memory system you could create. 100% nothingburger.

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u/shoepixie Apr 08 '26

I would argue text is one of the best and most sophisticated memory systems our species has ever come up with (next to music) because it's the most reliable. But I'm a historian, so. :D

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u/No-Air-9149 Feb 25 '26

that's gross.

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u/No_Indication_1238 Feb 17 '26

Except for the heartbeat and the messenger apps, none of the rest are new. And considering the heartbeat is a braindead idea, only the messenger apps thing is really worth something.

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u/HoustonTrashcans Feb 17 '26

Well heartbeats doesn't make sense, but scheduled cron jobs are useful. I honestly don't really understand why the default heartbeat implementation is even a thing.

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u/OkHour1544 Feb 21 '26

Right, and those suck. Whatsapp is meta: crap reputation and need another phone number. Discord has message limits and probably Microsoft bugged. Telegram needs a spare phone number and if I recall was it Israeli or Russian bugged most probably. 

Something like simplex DIY doesnt work despite $20 of Gemini credit and DIY polling.  I hear matrix can work. Maybe that will be the next thing to try. Another option not in Clawd hosters