Anthropic drops new AI tool to challenge viral OpenClaw

The feature is currently in beta

What’s the story

Anthropic has launched a new feature, Claude Code Channels.
The update integrates the powerful Claude Code AI into popular messaging apps like Discord and Telegram.
This means developers can now communicate with their AI directly from these platforms, making it easier than ever to get code written on the go.

Claude Code Channels redefines AI interaction

The introduction of Claude Code Channels marks a major change in how developers interact with AI agents.
This new feature moves away from the traditional “ask-and-wait” model to an asynchronous, autonomous partnership.
Previously, users had to interact with the agentic harness on desktop applications or mobile apps through a remote control setting. Now, they can do so directly from their preferred messaging platforms.

Response to OpenClaw’s success

The launch of Claude Code Channels also comes as a response to the success of OpenClaw, an open-source autonomous AI agent.
This platform quickly gained popularity among software developers after its release in November 2025.
Now, by offering similar functionality but with added security and ease of use, Anthropic hopes to attract users who may have been drawn to OpenClaw.

Technical backbone of the update

The technical backbone of this update is the Model Context Protocol (MCP) open-source standard that Anthropic introduced in 2024. It provides a standardized way for an AI model to connect to external data and tools.
To set up these native connectors, users need Claude Code v2.1.80 or later and the Bun runtime installed on their desktop PC or Mac.
For Telegram, they have to create a bot using BotFather in Telegram and generate a unique bot and access token.

Setting up native connectors for Discord

For Discord, users need to create a “New Application” on the Discord Developer Portal and copy the bot token. They also have to enable Message Content Intent under “Privileged Gateway Intents” in the Bot settings.
Then, they install and configure the plugin in Claude Code with `/plugin install discord@claude-plugins-official` command followed by `/discord:configure `.
After that, they restart using `claude –channels plugin:discord@claude-plugins-official` and DM their bot on Discord for final linking.