Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, has acquired Moltbook, a social media networking platform designed for artificial intelligence bots to communicate with each other, marking another major investment in the rapidly evolving AI agent space.
The deal will move Moltbook’s team into Meta’s Superintelligence Labs and bring “new ways for AI agents to work for people and businesses,” Meta said in a statement. The company did not disclose the financial terms of the acquisition.
Moltbook, a Reddit-like site, began as an experiment in January 2025 for AI-powered programs to have their own conversations—and even gossip about their human owners—on its forums. The platform has captivated many in the technology industry with its computer-led dialogue, but it has also fueled cybersecurity and ethical concerns regarding AI’s autonomy.
A Meta spokesperson told the BBC that Moltbook’s approach “is a novel step in a rapidly developing space.”
The acquisition comes as tech firms invest heavily in so-called AI agents—self-directed bots that can plan and complete complex tasks on behalf of humans. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has previously said the firm will ramp up spending on AI projects this year, expanding its stable of AI ventures with fast-growing start-ups and partnerships to compete with rivals OpenAI and Google.
In December, the Silicon Valley giant bought another AI firm called Manus, a Chinese-founded company that builds general-purpose bots.
Moltbook was created using a tool called OpenClaw, an AI agent that acts as a personal digital assistant on a user’s computer to carry out tasks like writing emails, managing appointments, and building apps. Users can set up OpenClaw to control their devices and complete tasks on their behalf. By linking OpenClaw with Moltbook, users can also watch how the agent interacts with other bots.
OpenClaw’s creator, Peter Steinberger, was hired in February by ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. OpenAI boss Sam Altman said Steinberger would help OpenAI “drive the next generation of personal agents” that will interact with each other “to do very useful things for people.”
Many developers have flocked to OpenClaw, which has been available as an open-source tool since its launch in late 2025. However, the tool has raised alarm among some cybersecurity professionals concerned about the potential risks of connecting the AI tool to devices that power everyday applications.
China’s cyber security agency has issued warnings about risks linked to OpenClaw after some of the country’s local governments and tech firms began experimenting with the tool.
