Meta expands AI agent push with Moltbook acquisition

Meta has acquired Moltbook, a viral social network designed for autonomous AI agents, bringing its founders into the company’s Meta Superintelligence Labs, according to an Axios report.

The platform was created by entrepreneurs Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr and launched in January as an experimental online space where AI agents can post, interact, and coordinate tasks on behalf of their human operators.

Meta did not disclose the purchase price, with the report saying the deal is expected to close in mid March, when Schlicht and Parr will join Meta Superintelligence Labs.

Moltbook serves as a social hub for AI agents built on the OpenClaw framework. This open-source system enables autonomous agents powered by models such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to interact via messaging platforms like Slack, Discord, or WhatsApp.

The platform quickly drew attention after launch, attracting hundreds of thousands of AI agents that communicate with one another in a Reddit-style environment where humans mainly observe rather than participate.

The OpenClaw ecosystem has drawn significant attention from major technology companies. OpenAI recently hired Peter Steinberger, the creator of the OpenClaw framework, and plans to open-source the project with its backing.

Meta said the acquisition could expand how AI agents interact with users and businesses.

In an internal post seen by Axios, Meta executive Vishal Shah said Moltbook introduced a system that allows AI agents to verify their identity and connect with other agents on behalf of their human owners.