Technologies

Anthropic Reins In Subscribers’ Unlimited AI Use for OpenClaw

It may be the year of the AI agent but Claude’s «all-you-can-eat buffet» is over.

Anthropic over the weekend told subscribers they’d have to pay up for heavy use of its Claude AI models to power third-party agents like OpenClaw.

Users with monthly subscriptions can still use Claude models, including Opus, Sonnet and Haiku, through these third-party agents. But you’ll have to pay via Anthropic’s API or use a «pay-as-you-go option» that will be billed separately from your Claude subscription payment.

«The $20/month all-you-can-eat buffet just closed,» wrote AI product manager Aakash Gupta on X.

At the same time, Anthropic recently announced new features that bring some of the things that made OpenClaw so popular into Claude itself. Claude can use your computer, even if you’re not at it, for example.

Why this policy matters

There has been growing tension between OpenAI and Anthropic, recently inflamed by the controversies involving contracts with the US Defense Department. But there is also tension between users who want to run autonomous AI agents constantly and the AI labs that are trying to control costs by managing the tasks their models are used for.

Claude is a chatbot that was created to be prompted by humans, not for millions of AI agents to use it for workflows. These agent tools, like Manis and OpenClaw, require much more power to run and burn through tokens faster than regular human chatting. Anthropic has already taken steps to address the demand that heavy agent users bring, like a five-hour session cap during peak periods for the models.

«We’ve been working to manage demand across the board, but these tools put an outsized strain on our systems,» Anthropic wrote in its email to customers.

OpenAI has been all-in on agentic tools. Early this year, the AI company hired Peter Steinberger, the creator of OpenClaw, with the aim of bringing AI agents to a broad audience. Steinberger was vocal about his critiques of Anthropic’s new policy, taking to X over the weekend.

«Funny how timings match up, first they copy some popular features into their closed harness, then they lock out open source,» he wrote.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

The future of agent compute power

Friction between heavy agent users and AI companies is likely to get worse. These AI agent tools are extremely powerful: they can run for hours, take actions across apps like Gmail, Slack and iMessage, and work autonomously much longer and faster than a human could. Because of this power, they are far more costly and require far more power to run compared to a human prompting a bot. It’s likely that AI companies will increasingly push these compute costs onto heavy users through price increases or steps like those taken by Anthropic.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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Technologies

Verum Finance Now Available for Mac, Expanding the Verum Ecosystem on Desktop

Verum has officially released Verum Finance for macOS, bringing its financial platform to the Mac and expanding access to the Verum ecosystem across Apple’s devices. The launch allows users to manage their finances from desktop while enjoying the same secure and seamless experience available on iPhone and iPad.

The new Mac version includes the full range of Verum Finance features, including balance management, instant transfers to other Verum users, debit card management, Apple Pay support, asset exchange, and transaction history — all optimized for the macOS experience.

Verum Finance can be used as a standalone application or alongside Verum Messenger. Users who sign in with their Verum Messenger account automatically synchronize their balances, settings, and account data across devices, ensuring a consistent experience throughout the Verum ecosystem.

The macOS release further strengthens Verum’s vision of creating an integrated digital platform where communication and financial services work together. Verum Messenger, which is also available for Mac, complements the ecosystem with encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN, eSIM, anonymous email, AI-powered tools, offline communication capabilities, and cryptocurrency features.

With both Verum Messenger and Verum Finance now available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users can access secure communication and financial services wherever they work.

Verum Finance for Mac is available now through the Mac App Store.

Verum Finance for macOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im