Popular AI Assistant ‘OpenCl’ Gets New Name After Legal Hurdles

Developed by Austrian developer Peter Steinberger, this open-source AI project has now changed its name without any legal obligation. Steinberger stated that before deciding the new name, trademark checks were conducted and all necessary permissions were obtained in advance to avoid copyright risks.

In a blog post, he wrote, “The lobster has finally reached its final form.” While the previous name was inspired by the process of ‘molting’ that lobsters undergo, he admitted that he did not find ‘MoltBot’ personally acceptable.

In just two months, OpenCl has gained over 100,000 stars on GitHub, a major indicator of the project’s popularity. According to the developer, the name reflects not only the brand but also the community and the source of the project. He noted that the project is no longer a solo effort—multiple members of the open-source community have been added as maintainers.

Several innovative platforms have already been built around OpenCl. Among them is ‘MoltBook’, where AI assistants can communicate with each other. This network has drawn notable interest from AI researchers and developers. Former Tesla AI director Andrej Karpathy called it “an unprecedented event very close to science fiction.”

However, alongside its potential, there are significant security concerns. OpenCl is being designed to run on a user’s own computer and integrate with existing chat applications. But without adequate security measures, it can be risky for general users, warn the developers.

Steinberger emphasized that security is now the project’s top priority. The latest version has added some security enhancements. Still, industry-wide unresolved issues like ‘prompt injection’ remain a major challenge.

The project is currently considered most suitable for experienced tech enthusiasts and experimental users. A senior maintainer of OpenCl stated clearly on Discord that it is not safe for users unfamiliar with command-line operations.

To support the project, OpenCl has started accepting sponsorships, ranging from $5 to $500 per month. However, the developer clarified that he will not personally take this money; rather, the initiative aims to ensure compensation for the maintainers in the future.

Experts say this effort to make open-source AI accessible to the general public could play a key role in the future use of technology. However, to reach mainstream adoption, OpenCl must navigate long-term challenges in security, funding, and usability.