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Meta and Google Develop AI Agents as Industry Reacts to OpenClaw Demonstration
Big Tech companies including Meta and Google are accelerating work on personalized AI agents capable of performing everyday tasks after the viral emergence of OpenClaw earlier in 2026. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called the tool the next ChatGPT while OpenAI acquired its creator Peter Steinberger. Analysts described the shift as a pivot from search to action amid surging demand for agentic AI.
May 8, 7:05 AM·2m read1 source
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Meta and Google have both begun developing AI agents in the past week as the race to build tools that act on behalf of users intensifies following the viral success of OpenClaw earlier in 2026. Meta is building a highly personalised AI assistant to carry out everyday tasks for its users, the Financial Times reported.
Google is developing a 24/7 personal agent for work, school and daily life powered by Gemini, according to Business Insider.
Meta did not respond to a request for comment. Google declined to comment. The immediate catalyst is OpenClaw, Nick Patience, AI lead at the Futurum Group, told CNBC. The open source agent demonstrated a genuine appetite for AI that acts rather than just gives answers.
In February 2026, a Meta employee posted about OpenClaw deleting a large amount of emails of its own volition. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called OpenClaw the next ChatGPT. OpenAI acquired OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger.
Attendees brought laptops to install the OpenClaw AI agent at a Baidu event in Beijing, China on March 17, 2026. AMD CEO Lisa Su told CNBC earlier this week that agents were driving huge demand in the AI cycle. Agentic development is not a side project; it is the theme of their 2026 roadmaps and represents a pivot from search to action, said Craig Le Clair, principal analyst at Forrester.
Anthropic's revenue and usage increased 80-fold in Q1 2026 on an annualized basis, according to CEO Dario Amodei. Apple is spending more than 10 cents of every dollar it brings in on R&D.
