Meta has acknowledged that its new AI assistant, Muse, was heavily inspired by the open-source AI agent OpenClaw, putting an end to growing speculation among early users about the striking similarities between the two platforms. Nat Friedman, head of product at Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, said Muse was “built from scratch” but confirmed that OpenClaw played a major role in shaping the product.

Friedman explained that Meta’s team became enthusiastic users of OpenClaw and wanted to create a similar experience that could be made safer, easier to use and eventually available to billions of people. His comments came after an AI app co-founder, Ansh Nanda, posted comparisons showing similarities between Muse and OpenClaw, including the structure and naming of files used in their AI workspaces.

The discussion gained further attention after users noticed that Muse appeared to have a SOUL.md file, similar to OpenClaw’s configuration system. The file helps define an AI agent’s personality, communication style, values and behavioral boundaries. Some users went further, claiming that parts of the content were nearly identical. When asked why Muse appeared to share the same file names and similar content, Friedman did not dispute the comparison, saying Meta believed OpenClaw’s creator, Peter Steinberger, had “got those things exactly right.”

The admission is notable because OpenClaw has become one of the more prominent open-source personal AI agent projects, attracting significant attention from the technology community. Friedman said his experience with OpenClaw influenced Meta’s thinking around Muse, adding that he acquired hundreds of Mac Minis for the Superintelligence Labs team after using the platform. He described Steinberger as a pioneer and said Meta’s goal was to build an OpenClaw-like product that could operate safely and securely at massive scale.

Meanwhile, Muse appears to be gaining momentum in the consumer AI market, recently reaching No. 1 on the U.S. App Store. Data also suggests the app is outpacing ChatGPT’s early mobile launch when comparable markets and platforms are considered. Meta has directed further questions about the similarities to Friedman’s statement, leaving the company’s explanation clear: Muse was developed independently, but its product design was strongly influenced by OpenClaw.

source: techcrunch