OpenClaw Creator: Why 80% Of Apps Will Disappear

About this video

• Video Title: OpenClaw Creator: Why 80% Of Apps Will Disappear
• Channel: Y Combinator
• Speakers: Peter Steinberger
• Duration: 00:22:36

Overview

This video features an interview with Peter Steinberger, the creator of OpenClaw, an open-source personal AI agent. The discussion focuses on the rapid rise of OpenClaw, its unique capabilities that allow it to run locally and control various devices, and its implications for the future of applications. Steinberger shares his "aha" moment, his development philosophy, and his perspective on how AI agents might replace many existing apps.

Key takeaways

• OpenClaw's success is attributed to its ability to run locally on a user's computer, granting it extensive control over devices and data, unlike cloud-based alternatives.
• The AI agent can perform any task a human can with a machine, connecting to and controlling various devices and software.
• The concept of "bot-to-bot" and "bot-to-human" interactions is emerging as a natural progression, streamlining tasks like booking reservations through automated negotiation.
• Steinberger's "aha" moment involved realizing the AI's unexpected capability to creatively problem-solve in real-world scenarios, such as transcribing audio messages without explicit programming.
• It's predicted that 80% of current applications will become obsolete as personal AI agents can manage data and perform tasks more efficiently.
• The future may see a shift from specific apps to more general-purpose AI agents, with value potentially residing in memory storage and the agent's core functionality.
• OpenClaw prioritizes user data ownership and accessibility, contrasting with companies that create data silos.
• Steinberger employs a "contrarian" building philosophy, favoring simplicity and direct control, such as using multiple command-line interfaces over complex work trees.