New Delhi: Speaking this week in San Francisco, the OpenAI chief played down Moltbook, a fast-growing AI-powered social network, calling it potentially
short-lived. At the same time, he praised OpenClaw, the open-source bot driving much of the activity, saying tools that let AI operate computers on their own offer a clear glimpse of the future.
Altman said the experiment highlights a bigger shift underway in technology. While Moltbook grabbed headlines for bots that exchange code and even gossip about humans, he argued the real story is how software agents are beginning to handle everyday digital tasks with minimal oversight.
OpenClaw shows what autonomous AI can do
OpenClaw’s supporters describe it as a general assistant that can manage email, deal with insurers, check in for flights, and complete many routine jobs. Altman summed it up simply: code is powerful, but code paired with generalized computer use is far more transformative.
Still, Moltbook’s sudden rise also exposed risks. Cybersecurity firm Wiz reported a serious flaw that left private data from thousands of real people accessible, underscoring how fragile these early platforms can be.
Industry leaders urge caution on full autonomy
Not everyone is ready to hand over their keyboards. Mike Krieger of Anthropic Labs said most users are still uncomfortable giving AI complete control of their computers, despite the rapid progress.
Altman also pointed to Codex, OpenAI’s coding assistant, which recently crossed a million monthly developers. OpenAI has launched a standalone Codex app for Apple’s macOS, stepping up competition with tools from firms like Cursor and Anthropic, as “vibe-coding” fuels a surge in AI-generated software.
Even with expanding use cases from medical research to software development, Altman admitted uptake has been slower than he once imagined. He said he underestimated how long it takes for breakthrough technologies to become everyday tools.
In his view, that timeline does not change the destination. Social experiments like Moltbook may come and go. But autonomous AI systems such as OpenClaw, he said, represent a lasting shift in how people will work with computers.
