As AI\u2019s inexorable transformation of the enterprise continues to unfold, business leaders may be forgiven if they\u2019re still coming to terms with the implications of large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI. But today there are new players on the field that could help bring about yet another potentially seismic shift: open-source AI agents.<\/p>\n
These personal agents\u2014OpenClaw is one example\u2014can interact with other apps and use LLMs and software to carry out a variety of tasks on the user\u2019s behalf: organizing files, responding to emails, staying up-to-date on the latest AI and market news, and executing repetitive tasks, to name a few. They typically \u201cwake up\u201d at frequent intervals to monitor the user\u2019s dashboard, log files, or ecosystems of choice, and can proactively reach out or take action across platforms when new developments arise.<\/p>\n
Personal AI agents can act in the user\u2019s stead across a variety of contexts, effectively performing a role akin to a personal chief of staff. As the technology\u2019s presence in the workplace grows, the implications for performance and security could be significant.<\/p>\n
\u2018A Builder Economy\u2019<\/p>\n
Many open-source AI agents are now on the market, including also Hermes Agent and NemoClaw, often providing similar features that can give users access to more personalization, more control over computer-related tasks, and further security and operational controls. These solutions combine a model with an agentic harness including tool-calling software elements and memory.<\/p>\n
Much of the early use of these tools is likely taking place among developers, hobbyists, and general AI enthusiasts. \u201cThere is currently a big moment around building with these agents,\u201d says Jim Rowan, principal and U.S. head of AI with Deloitte Consulting LLP. \u201cA builder economy is emerging.\u201d<\/p>\n
That momentum is dramatically accelerating the learning curve, says Ed Van Buren, a principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP and executive director of Deloitte\u2019s AI Institute for Government. \u201cIt\u2019s an exciting moment for personal exploration, where leaders can come face-to-face with applied AI, and it\u2019s helping to drive AI literacy and fluency for the workplace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Already, that fluency is conveying into enterprise environments.<\/p>\n
\u201cIncreasingly, people will probably begin showing up to work with their own agents,\u201d Rowan says. \u201cThere will likely soon come a time when leaders will need to determine how to integrate these agents: how they log into work as distinct entities, where IP boundaries lie, who owns the resulting knowledge, and how it should all be kept secure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Memory and Context<\/p>\n
Personalized agent capabilities have the potential to unlock numerous benefits both within and outside the enterprise, Rowan says, starting with personal productivity.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of users\u2019 experience with AI so far has been through chatbots and early agents, but those tools are typically limited to specific purposes and parts of the enterprise,\u201d he explains. \u201cThey\u2019re often tools we\u2019re instructed to use at work for productivity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Agents built with tools like OpenClaw, on the other hand, are more personal. \u201cThey are like your own productivity tool, with memory and context from past interactions you\u2019ve had,\u201d he says. \u201cThey can help uncover and enable your personal way of working.\u201d<\/p>\n
These personal agents also bring action to the forefront. \u201cThey\u2019re not just helpful on the same level a chatbot might be, such as by offering suggestions,\u201d Rowan says. \u201cThey perform tasks on your behalf the way you want them done\u2014delivering a daily briefing tailored to your preferences, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because they offer persistent memory over time and across platforms, these agents can also help fill in gaps among varying tools in the sometimes fragmented AI landscape, he adds.<\/p>\n
\u2018Who Owns Your Knowledge Graph?\u2019<\/p>\n
OpenClaw agents are customizable for specific purposes using pre-established skill sets developed and shared by the OpenClaw community. With the ability to communicate via numerous messaging and other channels, \u201cthey meet you where you are, helping support a mobile workforce,\u201d Van Buren says.<\/p>\n