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ClawCon NYC Draws Thousand-Plus as OpenClaw Fandom Goes In Person

The lobster-branded meetup signals a consumer-style movement around the open-source agent, with security risks front of mind.

Overview

  • Held Wednesday in Manhattan, the packed ClawCon featured free lobster tails, sponsor tables, a DJ, and a visibly enthusiastic crowd spanning students, parents, and finance tech teams.
  • Organizers emphasized networking over deep technical talks, and several onstage demos doubled as product pitches as host Michael Galpert noted many attendees are not developers themselves.
  • OpenClaw is free software for building autonomous agents that can act with limited oversight, with users reporting tasks like podcast summarization, car‑dealer negotiations, and grocery ordering.
  • Maintainers and volunteers such as Vincent Koc continue rapid updates, with the team reporting 194 features and fixes shipped this week as the project evolves beyond its viral origins.
  • Safety remained a recurring concern after reports of missteps like a near‑wiped inbox, with attendees urging caution and organizers preparing additional ClawCon stops in Austin, Tokyo, and London.