I’ve tried every AI assistant out there. ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot—they’re all impressive, but they share a fundamental limitation: they don’t know me. They can’t check my calendar, send messages on my behalf, or remember what we discussed last week.

Then I discovered OpenClaw, and everything changed.

What Makes OpenClaw Different

OpenClaw isn’t just another chat interface. It’s an AI gateway that runs locally and connects to your actual life:

  • Message channels: Signal, Telegram, iMessage, Discord
  • Tools: Calendar, email, file system, terminal
  • Memory: Persistent context across sessions
  • Skills: Extensible capabilities for specific tasks

The key insight: an AI assistant is only as useful as the context it has access to.

My Setup

The Basics

OpenClaw runs on my Mac mini as a gateway. I interact with it through:

  • Web chat for complex work
  • iMessage for quick queries on the go
  • Telegram for notifications and updates

All channels sync to the same conversation context. I can start a task on my phone and continue on my laptop seamlessly.

Memory That Matters

OpenClaw uses a simple but effective memory system:

workspace/
├── MEMORY.md       # Long-term curated memories
├── memory/
│   ├── 2026-02-01.md  # Daily notes
│   └── tasks.md       # Active work tracking
└── SOUL.md         # Personality and preferences

The AI reads these files every session. It knows my preferences, ongoing projects, and communication style. No more re-explaining context.

Scheduling & Reminders

The cron system handles scheduling:

// Wake me up at 8:30 with a briefing
{
  "schedule": { "kind": "cron", "expr": "30 8 * * *" },
  "payload": { 
    "kind": "agentTurn",
    "message": "Morning briefing: check calendar, unread emails, weather"
  }
}

It’s like having a personal assistant who actually shows up on time.

Real Productivity Gains

Development Workflow

When I’m coding, OpenClaw runs in the background. It can:

  • Execute shell commands and report results
  • Search documentation and summarize findings
  • Create and edit files based on our discussion
  • Commit changes with meaningful messages
Me: "Create a new Flutter page for user settings with dark mode toggle"

OpenClaw: *creates the file, adds proper imports, implements the toggle with SharedPreferences*

Communication Management

The AI monitors my channels and:

  • Summarizes long group chat threads
  • Drafts responses for review
  • Reminds me about unanswered messages
  • Handles routine inquiries when appropriate

Research & Learning

When exploring a new technology, I dump documentation, tutorials, and my notes into the workspace. The AI becomes an expert on that specific topic, ready to answer questions and generate examples.

The Terminal Mode Easter Egg

One of my favorite features is the terminal mode on my website (try pressing ` on haoyu.dev). It’s a fun way to present information, but it also demonstrates a principle: AI interactions don’t have to be chat bubbles. They can be whatever fits the context.

Privacy Considerations

OpenClaw runs locally. Your data stays on your machine. The AI makes API calls to LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic), but the orchestration, memory, and tooling are all local.

For sensitive operations, you can configure which tools are available and which channels can trigger them.

Getting Started

  1. Install OpenClaw via npm
  2. Configure your API keys and channels
  3. Set up your workspace structure
  4. Define your SOUL.md (personality) and initial memories

The learning curve is real but worthwhile. After a week of setup and tuning, I had an assistant that genuinely understood my work and preferences.

What I’m Still Figuring Out

  • Context window management: Long conversations still hit limits
  • Tool reliability: Some integrations need babysitting
  • Proactive vs. reactive: Finding the right balance of initiative

The Bottom Line

OpenClaw turned AI from a novelty into a productivity multiplier. The difference between a generic chatbot and a contextual assistant is night and day.

The future of AI assistants isn’t smarter models—it’s better integration with our actual lives. OpenClaw gets that.

Interested in setting up your own AI assistant? Check out OpenClaw or reach out if you want to discuss implementation strategies.