[EastSmith]

With OpenClaw we are seeing how the app layer becomes as important as the model layer.

You can switch models multiple times (online/proprietary, open weight, local), but you have one UI : OpenClaw.

[Aurornis]

> You can switch models multiple times (online/proprietary, open weight, local), but you have one UI : OpenClaw.

It’s only been a couple months. I guarantee people will be switching apps as others become the new hot thing.

We saw the same claims when Cursor was popular. Same claims when Claude Code was the current topic. Users are changing their app layer all the time and trying new things.

[ryanmcgarvey]

Memory. I have built up so many scripts and crons and integrated little programs and memories with open claw it would be difficult to migrate to some other system.

System of record and all.

[softwaredoug]

Indeed, coding agents took off because of a lot of ongoing trial and error on how to build the harness as much as model quality.

[pyuser583]

This is the sort of thing employers are failing on. They sign contracts that assume employees are going to be logging in and asking questions directly.

But if I don’t have a url for my IDE (or whatever) to call, it isn’t useful.

So I use Ollama. It’s less helpful, but ensure confidentiality and compliance.

[canadiantim]

There’s actually many UI’s now? See moltis, rowboat, and various others that are popping up daily

[PurpleRamen]

I think the point was about the frequency of switching your frontend. With a proper frontend you can switch the backend on each request if you want, but usually people will stay with one main-interface of their choice. For AI, OpenClaw, Moltic, Rowboat are now such a frontend, but not many will use them all at once.

It's similar to how people usually only use one preferred browser, editor, shell, OS.

[AlexCoventry]

Are there any with a credible approach to security, privacy and prompt injections?

[czhu12]

It’s only 2 months and there are already a rush of viable alternatives, from smaller, lightweight versions, to hosted, managed SaaS alternatives.

I’d suspect the moat here will be just as fragile as every other layer

[bhadass]

openclaw is just one of many now, there are new ones weekly.

[mcapodici]

Plus you can get the model to write you a bespoke one that suits your needs.

[beaker52]

And OpenClaw is nothing revolutionary. It’s all shit we could do before OpenClaw. It’s just that no one was stupid enough to do it. Now everyone has gone crazy.

[palata]

AI is the new Javascript?

[karmasimida]

Why?

You can literally ask codex to build a slim version for you overnight.

I love OpenClaw, but I really don't think there is anything that can't be cloned.

[zombot]

Well, duh.

You being able to go places is the interesting thing, your car having wheels is just a subservient prerequisite.

[baxtr]

Seems like models become commoditized?

[verdverm]

Same for OpenClaw, it will be commodity soon if you don't think it is already

[lez]

It has already been so with ppq.ai (pay per query dot AI)

[cyanydeez]

Things that arn't happening any time soon but need to for actual product success built on top:

1. Stable models

2. Stable pre- and post- context management.

As long as they keep mothballing old models and their interderminant-indeterminancy changes, whatever you try to build on them today will be rugpulled tomorrow.

This is all before even enshittification can happen.

[madeofpalk]

? We saw this years/months ago with Claude Code and Cursor.

[miki_oomiri]

But it just codes. And are console / ide tools.

Openclaw is so so so much more.

[alansaber]

This has been the case since the beginning of last year imo

[coffeebeqn]

What’s the moat exactly?

[hirako2000]

None. That's why joining openai is the perfect fit.