What OpenClaw's rapid adoption reveals about today's AI user expectations

OpenClaw’s sudden popularity exposes how users crave AI that works across tools, fast. Learn how businesses can safely harness AI while avoiding risks like Shadow AI and data breaches.

As Gen AI and AI agents continue to improve, user reliance on and expectations of AI are growing fast. We've all seen it: children being called out for using AI to do their homework, marketing teams ridiculed for low‑quality AI‑generated images, and developers shipping AI‑written code they don't fully understand.

Users want it all, and they want it now. In our 2026 AI predictions blog, What's on the horizon for AI in 2026, Adaptavist experts predicted that AI agents would evolve dramatically from simple assistants to autonomous operators. That evolution already appears to be underway with agents like OpenClaw. But every new wave of innovation brings fresh complexity for businesses.

Here's why OpenClaw has been flooding your news feeds recently:

In the last week of January 2026, an open‑source AI agent called Clawdbot gained 149,000 GitHub stars.
Clawdbot's core differentiator was "persistent AI": a single agent that could follow users across all the platforms they already used.
The project triggered a trademark dispute with Anthropic, forcing it to change its name three times in four days, finally landing on OpenClaw.
As users rushed to try the tech for themselves, 1.49 million database records were exposed, and an $8 million crypto scam emerged. A social network populated entirely by autonomous AI agents was even launched.
OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joined OpenAI to, in CEO Sam Altman's words, "drive the next generation of personal agents".

This story speaks to users' hunger for AI that keeps pace with their lives and fits seamlessly into the tools they already use, without extra effort on their part. It also highlights the risks that come with handing so much of our agency to autonomous systems. Within just a few days, OpenClaw went from niche project to headline news, underscoring how quickly powerful AI can spread before safeguards and governance catch up.

What does this tell us about how people use AI at work?

If you don't support your teams in using AI, they'll probably still use it, just in secret, energised by the pace of change and the possibilities that new tools present. In fact, Digital Etiquette research shows that as many as 35% of workers believe they're addicted to using GenAI.

Adaptavist's latest study, The 'human' cost of digital transformation, shows a clear difference for knowledge workers. Among respondents with AI embedded in their workflows, 48% said they feel energised and motivated by their work environment, compared with just 19% of those without. And 31% of this group believe technology has significantly helped their career.

For businesses without clear guidance or approved tools, employees seeking these benefits may turn to "Shadow AI": unapproved, unvetted tools that can do more harm than good. Data sharing is a particular concern. In trying to streamline their tasks, users may unknowingly include sensitive information in tools that are not company‑sanctioned or properly secured.

And this is where training comes in. Informed, well‑equipped team members are empowered to use AI safely and effectively. In practice, this enables mindful, human‑driven collaboration with AI that maintains clear boundaries and delivers measurable value.

How to implement AI safely in your organisation and maximise its value

There's no one‑size‑fits‑all approach to implementing AI tools and processes, but there are best practices that can help you shape a safe, effective strategy.

Clear guidance: Provide guardrails so that teams can leverage AI autonomously while you retain essential oversight to minimise risk.
Regular, relevant training: As The 'human' cost of digital transformation study shows, it's rarely "too many tools that stress employees, but a lack of training and enablement around essential workplace tech, including AI".
Correctly configured tools: Properly embedding AI into your existing technology stack can deliver an intuitive experience that augments familiar tools and removes friction from day‑to‑day workflows.
The right culture: Build a culture where AI is positioned as an enabler of human potential, not a replacement for it.

How can your existing software support your AI goals?

One example of carefully configured agents and AI capabilities for business use is Atlassian Rovo. With Atlassian Rovo, your teams can create agents with specific skills and responsibilities, streamlining manual processes and supporting faster, more reliable project delivery.

Rovo is built on Atlassian's Teamwork Graph, which connects to the Atlassian app suite on the Atlassian Cloud Platform and more than 100 connectors, including Microsoft Teams, Gmail, monday.com, GitLab, and many other essential work tools.

With the right connectors and permissions in place, Rovo agents can carry out tasks such as creating specific Confluence pages and Jira work items, or sending Slack messages.

With additional capabilities such as AI‑powered search and chat, Rovo provides your teams with the context, knowledge, and support they need day to day, within a secure, governed environment.

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monday.com is another platform that has rapidly expanded its AI capabilities, embedding AI throughout its work execution environment to enhance productivity and simplify AI adoption.

For teams, key AI capabilities include:

monday vibe: a no‑code app builder for creating custom workflows and apps without developer support.
monday sidekick: a context‑aware digital assistant across monday.com, surfaced through the Tim the llama mascot.
monday magic: an AI tool that transforms a single prompt into a ready‑to‑use work solution.

monday agents: an “agent factory” for creating and deploying custom AI agents to support a wide range of tasks.

As part of The Adaptavist Group’s expertise across monday.com, Atlassian, GitLab, and other leading ecosystems, we help teams get practical, business‑ready value from AI rather than simply turning features on and hoping for the best.

How we can help

For organisations looking to safely implement time‑saving, business‑enhancing AI tools and processes while maintaining security, it's no surprise that it can feel like a minefield. But that's where we come in.

Adaptavist specialises in tailored, strategic advice and support. We provide AI enablement, training, proof‑of‑concept projects, and optimised, AI‑powered configurations of your existing tools to safely meet your organisation's AI requirements.