Question 1

What is an AI research agent?

Accepted Answer

An AI research agent is software that can autonomously search the web, read and analyze content, and produce structured research output without step-by-step human guidance. Unlike a chatbot that answers a single question, a research agent can plan a multi-step investigation, gather information from multiple sources, and synthesize findings into a report. LiberClaw research agents run on their own VMs and can operate continuously, combining one-off deep research with ongoing web monitoring.

Question 2

How do I monitor websites with AI?

Accepted Answer

With LiberClaw, you deploy an agent and give it a skill file that lists the URLs or topics to monitor and what to look for. The agent uses its heartbeat system to check on a recurring schedule. When it detects changes, it reads the new content, compares against what it knew before using persistent memory, and writes a summary explaining what changed and whether it is significant. Results can be pushed to Telegram or stored on the agent's filesystem.

Question 3

What is the best open source alternative to OpenAI Deep Research?

Accepted Answer

OpenAI's Deep Research is a $200/month feature that performs multi-step web research. GPT Researcher is a popular open source option, but it requires your own API keys and runs locally without persistence or monitoring. LiberClaw provides a deployable open source AI research agent that runs on its own VM with persistent memory, uses open models through LibertAI with no external API keys, and adds continuous monitoring on top of one-off research.