Anthropic just shipped an OpenClaw killer called Claude Code Channels, letting you message it over Telegram and Discord
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## Anthropic's Claude Code Channels Aims to Outdo OpenClaw with Asynchronous AI Partnership **Section 1 – What happened?** Anthropic, a leading AI researc
Anthropic just shipped an OpenClaw killer called Claude Code Channels, letting you message it over Telegram and Discord
Anthropic's Claude Code Channels Aims to Outdo OpenClaw with Asynchronous AI Partnership
Section 1 – What happened? Anthropic, a leading AI research company, has announced Claude Code Channels, a groundbreaking feature that enables users to interact with its powerful Claude Code AI agent through popular messaging platforms like Telegram and Discord. This move is seen as a direct challenge to OpenClaw, an open-source autonomous AI agent that gained rapid adoption among software developers and coders since its release in November 2025. With Claude Code Channels, users can now message Claude Code directly, instructing it to write code, perform tasks, and complete projects, all in real-time.
Section 2 – Background & Context The development of OpenClaw by Austrian developer Peter Steinberger in November 2025 sent shockwaves through the AI and coding communities. OpenClaw's ability to allow users to interact with a persistent, personal AI worker through common messaging apps was a game-changer. However, Anthropic's decision to send Steinberger a cease-and-desist notice over potential trademark violations led to Steinberger being hired by OpenAI, a rival of Anthropic. This move sparked a fierce competition between Anthropic and OpenAI, with both companies vying to create the most advanced AI agents.
Section 3 – Impact on Swiss SMEs & Finance The introduction of Claude Code Channels has significant implications for Swiss SMEs and the finance sector. With the ability to interact with AI agents through messaging platforms, developers and businesses can now access a powerful tool for automating tasks, creating applications, and managing projects. This could lead to increased productivity, reduced costs, and improved competitiveness for Swiss SMEs. Additionally, the rise of AI-powered tools like Claude Code Channels may also attract new investments and funding opportunities for Swiss fintech companies.
Section 4 – What to Watch As the competition between Anthropic and OpenAI intensifies, it will be interesting to see how OpenClaw responds to the launch of Claude Code Channels. Will OpenClaw's developers be able to maintain their lead in the market, or will Anthropic's Claude Code Channels prove to be the more popular choice among developers and businesses? Investors and users should keep a close eye on the development of these AI agents, as they are likely to have a significant impact on the future of coding, automation, and productivity.
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Original Article: Anthropic just shipped an OpenClaw killer called Claude Code Channels, letting you message it over Telegram and Discord
Published: March 20, 2026
Author: carl.franzen@venturebeat.com (Carl Franzen)
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions.
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This article is based on Anthropic just shipped an OpenClaw killer called Claude Code Channels, letting you message it over Telegram and Discord (VentureBeat AI)
