{"id":17747,"date":"2026-02-09T13:19:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T13:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/09\/the-download-what-moltbook-tells-us-about-ai-hype-and-the-rise-and-rise-of-ai-therapy\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T13:19:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T13:19:44","slug":"the-download-what-moltbook-tells-us-about-ai-hype-and-the-rise-and-rise-of-ai-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/09\/the-download-what-moltbook-tells-us-about-ai-hype-and-the-rise-and-rise-of-ai-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Download: what Moltbook tells us about AI hype, and the rise and rise of AI therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

This is today\u2019s edition of\u00a0The Download<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what\u2019s going on in the world of technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

Moltbook was peak AI theater<\/strong><\/p>\n

For a few days recently, the hottest new hangout on the internet was a vibe-coded Reddit clone called Moltbook, which billed itself as a social network for bots. As the website\u2019s tagline puts it: \u201cWhere AI agents share, discuss, and upvote. Humans welcome to observe.\u201d<\/p>\n

We observed! Launched on January 28, Moltbook went viral in a matter of hours. It\u2019s been designed as a place where instances of a free open-source LLM-powered agent known as OpenClaw (formerly known as ClawdBot, then Moltbot), could come together and do whatever they wanted.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>But is Moltbook really a glimpse of the future, as many have claimed? Or something else entirely? Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Will Douglas Heaven<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The ascent of the AI therapist<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019re in the midst of a global mental-\u00adhealth crisis. More than a billion people worldwide suffer from a mental-health condition, according to the World Health Organization. The prevalence of anxiety and depression is growing in many demographics, particularly young people, and suicide is claiming hundreds of thousands of lives globally each year.<\/p>\n

Given the clear demand for accessible and affordable mental-health services, it\u2019s no wonder that people have looked to artificial intelligence for possible relief. Millions are already actively seeking therapy from popular chatbots, or from specialized psychology apps like Wysa and Woebot.<\/p>\n

Four timely new books are a reminder that while the present feels like a blur of breakthroughs, scandals, and confusion, this disorienting time is rooted in deeper histories of care, technology, and trust. <\/strong>Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Becky Ferreira<\/em><\/p>\n

This story is from the <\/strong>most recent print issue of MIT Technology Review<\/em> magazin<\/strong><\/a>e, which shines a light on the exciting innovations happening right now. If you haven\u2019t already, <\/strong>subscribe now<\/strong><\/a> to receive future issues once they land.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Making AI Work, MIT Technology Review\u2019s new AI newsletter, is here<\/strong><\/p>\n

For years, our newsroom has explored AI\u2019s limitations<\/a> and potential dangers, as well as its growing energy needs<\/a>. And our reporters have looked closely at how generative tools are being used for tasks such as coding<\/a> and running scientific experiments<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But how is AI actually<\/em> being used in fields like health care, climate tech, education, and finance? How are small businesses using it? And what should you keep in mind if you use AI tools at work? These questions guided the creation of Making AI Work, a new AI mini-course newsletter. Read more about it<\/a>, and sign up here<\/a> to receive the seven editions straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The must-reads<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve combed the internet to find you today\u2019s most fun\/important\/scary\/fascinating stories about technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

1 The US is failing to punish polluters<\/strong>
The number of civil lawsuits it\u2019s pursuing has sharply dropped in comparison to Trump\u2019s first term. (Ars Technica<\/a>)
+ Rising GDP = greater carbon emissions. But does it have to? <\/em>(The Guardian<\/a>)<\/p>\n

2 The European Union has warned Meta against blocking rival AI assistants
<\/strong>It\u2019s the latest example of Brussels\u2019 attempts to rein in Big Tech. (Bloomberg<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

3 AI ads took over the Super Bowl<\/strong>
Hyping up chatbots and taking swipes at their competitors. (TechCrunch<\/a>)
+ They appeared to be trying to win over AI naysayers, too. <\/em>(WP<\/a> $)
+ Celebrities were out in force to flog AI wares. <\/em>(Slate<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

4<\/strong> China wants to completely dominate the humanoid robot industry<\/strong>
Local governments and banks are only too happy to oblige promising startups. (WSJ<\/a> $)
+ Why the humanoid workforce is running late. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

5 We\u2019re witnessing the first real crypto crash
<\/strong>Cryptocurrency is now fully part of the financial system, for better or worse. (NY Mag<\/a> $)
+ Wall Street\u2019s grasp of AI is pretty shaky too. <\/em>(Semafor<\/a>)
+ Even traditionally safe markets are looking pretty volatile right now. <\/em>(Economist<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

6 The man who coined vibe coding has a new fixation<\/strong>\u00a0
\u201cAgentic engineering\u201d is the next big thing, apparently. (Insider<\/a> $)
+ Agentic AI is the talk of the town right now. <\/em>(The Information<\/a> $)
+ What is vibe coding, exactly? <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

7 AI running app Runna has adjusted its aggressive training plans <\/strong>\"\ud83c\udfc3\u200d\u2642\ufe0f\"<\/strong>
<\/strong>Runners had long suspected its suggestions were pushing them towards injury. (WSJ<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

8 San Francisco\u2019s march for billionaires was a flop\u00a0<\/strong>
Only around three dozen supporters turned up. (SF Chronicle<\/a>)
+ Predictably, journalists nearly outnumbered the demonstrators. <\/em>(TechCrunch<\/a>)<\/p>\n

9 AI is shaking up romance novels \"\u2764\"<\/strong>
But models still aren\u2019t great at writing sex scenes. (NYT<\/a> $)
+ It\u2019s surprisingly easy to stumble into a relationship with an AI chatbot. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n

10 ChatGPT won\u2019t be replacing human stylists any time soon<\/strong>
Its menswear suggestions are more manosphere influencer than suave gentleman. (GQ<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Quote of the day<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no Plan B, because that assumes you will fail. We\u2019re going to do the start-up thing until we die.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014William Alexander, an ambitious 21-year old AI worker, explains his and his cohort\u2019s attitudes towards trying to make it big in the highly-competitive industry to the New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

One more thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n

The open-source AI boom is built on Big Tech\u2019s handouts. How long will it last?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In May 2023 a leaked memo reported to have been written by Luke Sernau, a senior engineer at Google, said out loud what many in Silicon Valley must have been whispering for weeks: an open-source free-for-all is threatening Big Tech\u2019s grip on AI.<\/p>\n

In many ways, that\u2019s a good thing. AI won\u2019t thrive if just a few mega-rich companies get to gatekeep this technology or decide how it is used. But this open-source boom is precarious, and if Big Tech decides to shut up shop, a boomtown could become a backwater. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Will Douglas Heaven<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

We can still have nice things<\/strong><\/p>\n

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? <\/em>Drop me a line<\/em><\/a> or <\/em>skeet \u2019em at me<\/em><\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

+ Dark showering<\/a>, anyone?
+ Chef Yujia Hu is renowned for his shoe-shaped sushi<\/a> designs.
+ Meanwhile, in the depths of the South Atlantic Ocean: a giant phantom jelly<\/a> has been spotted.
+ I have nothing but respect for this X account dedicated to documenting rats and mice<\/a> in movies and TV \"\ud83d\udc00\"\"\ud83d\udc01\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is today\u2019s edition of\u00a0The Download,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[226],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17747"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17747\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}