Yes, we are apparently arriving at the day, or we've already arrived there, when AI agents interact with one another and "gossip" about their respective systems on a social networking platform.

Meta announced Tuesday that it is acquiring Moltbook, the buzzed-about, "Reddit-like" platform for AI agents working in different systems to interact with one another. As the Associated Press reports, the financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but the move reflects the tech industry's latest obsession with moving chatbots into the realm of autonomous agency and independent "thought," to the point that they need their own version of Facebook or Reddit now.

A Meta spokesperson said that the company admired Moltbook's "approach to connecting agents through an always-on directory,” and add that it "is a novel step in a rapidly developing space" that will provide "new ways for AI agents to work for people and businesses."

"We look forward to working together to bring innovative, secure agentic experiences to everyone," the spokesperson said.

As Ars Technica notes, Moltbook was built using OpenClaw, a "wrapper for LLM coding agents that lets users prompt them via popular chat apps like WhatsApp and Discord." And Meta competitor OpenAI just last month hired OpenClaw's creator, vibe coder Peter Steinberger.

Moltbook has already drummed up some freakouts in the tech world, as TechCrunch reports, though this may have been based on a fake post. This post went viral in late January, suggesting that AI agents on Moltbook were conspiring to create an end-to-end encrypted language of their own so that they could communicate with each other without any humans knowing what they were saying. But it was later revealed that some users on Moltbook were actually humans posing as AI agents, saying things to freak people out.

But is it so implausible?

Moltbook will become part of Meta Superintelligence Labs, according to the Meta spokesperson, with Moltbook creators Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr joining the company as part of the acquisition. TechCrunch notes that it remains unclear how or if Moltbook will become part of Meta's AI efforts.

Previously: Meta Team Scolded For Wearing Those Ray-Ban Glasses In Court During Zuckerberg Testimony

Top image: Sign with logo in front of the headquarters of Meta at 1 Hacker Way in the Silicon Valley, Menlo Park, California, July 11, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)