mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

MetaClaw: Just Talk -- An Agent That Meta-Learns and Evolves in the Wild

arXiv 2603.17187 ↗First posted 17 Mar 2026cs.LGcited by 35

On the map: LLM agents and tool use → Agent skill learning and evolution

Abstract (arXiv)

Large language model (LLM) agents are increasingly used for complex tasks, yet deployed agents often remain static, failing to adapt as user needs evolve. This creates a tension between the need for continuous service and the necessity of updating capabilities to match shifting task distributions. On platforms like OpenClaw, which handle diverse workloads across 20+ channels, existing methods either store raw trajectories without distilling knowledge, maintain static skill libraries, or require disruptive downtime for retraining. We present MetaClaw, a continual meta-learning framework that jointly evolves a base LLM policy and a library of reusable behavioral skills. MetaClaw employs two complementary mechanisms. Skill-driven fast adaptation analyzes failure trajectories via an LLM evolver to synthesize new skills, enabling immediate improvement with zero downtime. Opportunistic policy optimization performs gradient-based updates via cloud LoRA fine-tuning and Reinforcement Learning with a Process Reward Model (RL-PRM). This is triggered during user-inactive windows by the Opportunistic Meta-Learning Scheduler (OMLS), which monitors system inactivity and calendar data. These mechanisms are mutually reinforcing: a refined policy generates better trajectories for skill synthesis, while richer skills provide higher-quality data for policy optimization. To prevent data contamination, a versioning mechanism separates support and query data. Built on a proxy-based architecture, MetaClaw scales to production-size LLMs without local GPUs. Experiments on MetaClaw-Bench and AutoResearchClaw show that skill-driven adaptation improves accuracy by up to 32% relative. The full pipeline advances Kimi-K2.5 accuracy from 21.4% to 40.6% and increases composite robustness by 18.3%. Code is available at https://github.com/aiming-lab/MetaClaw.

Key facts. Cited by 35 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Agent skill learning and evolution, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use. Builds on 44 of its 51 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 17 Mar 2026.

Builds on

44 of 51 references.

Closest ancestors · 1

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2026SkillRL: Evolving Agents via Recursive Skill-Augmented Reinforcement Learning9 Feb

Other references · 43

  1. 2022Training language models to follow instructions with human feedbackcited by 15,712
  2. 2017Proximal Policy Optimization Algorithmscited by 14,441
  3. 2021LoRA: Low-Rank Adaptation of Large Language Modelscited by 14,084
  4. 2024DeepSeekMath: Pushing the Limits of Mathematical Reasoning in Open Language Modelscited by 8,851
  5. 2022ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Modelscited by 8,355
  6. 2017Model-Agnostic Meta-Learning for Fast Adaptation of Deep Networkscited by 4,861
  7. 2016Overcoming catastrophic forgetting in neural networkscited by 4,718
  8. 2023Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learningcited by 4,064
  9. 2025DAPO: An Open-Source LLM Reinforcement Learning System at Scalecited by 2,678
  10. 2023Voyager: An Open-Ended Embodied Agent with Large Language Modelscited by 2,081
  11. 2017Gradient Episodic Memory for Continual Learningcited by 1,871
  12. 2021WebGPT: Browser-assisted question-answering with human feedbackcited by 1,722
31 more
  1. 2018Efficient Lifelong Learning with A-GEMcited by 1,044
  2. 2018On First-Order Meta-Learning Algorithmscited by 1,003
  3. 2020Meta-Learning in Neural Networks: A Surveycited by 944
  4. 2021Learning to Prompt for Continual Learningcited by 938
  5. 2023A Comprehensive Survey of Continual Learning: Theory, Method and Applicationcited by 860
  6. 2023ExpeL: LLM Agents Are Experiential Learnerscited by 814
  7. 2025Group Sequence Policy Optimizationcited by 788
  8. 2025Mem0: Building Production-Ready AI Agents with Scalable Long-Term Memorycited by 722
  9. 2016RL2: Fast Reinforcement Learning via Slow Reinforcement Learningcited by 490
  10. 2026Kimi K2.5: Visual Agentic Intelligencecited by 449
  11. 2025Group-in-Group Policy Optimization for LLM Agent Trainingcited by 442
  12. 2025The Lessons of Developing Process Reward Models in Mathematical Reasoningcited by 402
  13. 2019Efficient Off-Policy Meta-Reinforcement Learning via Probabilistic Context Variablescited by 372
  14. 2024Agent Workflow Memorycited by 342
  15. 2025ReasoningBank: Scaling Agent Self-Evolving with Reasoning Memorycited by 253
  16. 2025Agentic Reinforced Policy Optimizationcited by 166
  17. 2026SimpleMem: Efficient Lifelong Memory for LLM Agentscited by 140
  18. 2019Online Meta-Learningcited by 137
  19. 2025EvolveR: Self-Evolving LLM Agents through an Experience-Driven Lifecyclecited by 129
  20. 2026MemSkill: Learning and Evolving Memory Skills for Self-Evolving Agentscited by 129
  21. 2026MemRL: Self-Evolving Agents via Runtime Reinforcement Learning on Episodic Memorycited by 113
  22. 2025AgenTracer: Who Is Inducing Failure in the LLM Agentic Systems?cited by 105
  23. 2018ProMP: Proximal Meta-Policy Searchcited by 91
  24. 2025Agent KB: Leveraging Cross-Domain Experience for Agentic Problem Solvingcited by 90
  25. 2025Memp: Exploring Agent Procedural Memorycited by 88
  26. 2025MemEvolve: Meta-Evolution of Agent Memory Systemscited by 81
  27. 2018Deep Online Learning via Meta-Learning: Continual Adaptation for Model-Based RLcited by 80
  28. 2019Continuous Meta-Learning without Taskscited by 50
  29. 2023Testing Language Model Agents Safely in the Wildcited by 45
  30. 2020Online Structured Meta-learningcited by 27
  31. 2021Meta-learning with an Adaptive Task Schedulercited by 27

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Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2026: 35.

35 papers.

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  1. 2026Trace2Skill: Distill Trajectory-Local Lessons into Transferable Agent Skillscited by 161
  2. 2026SkillClaw: Let Skills Evolve Collectively with Agentic Evolvercited by 76
  3. 2026SkillRet: A Large-Scale Benchmark for Skill Retrieval in LLM Agentscited by 37
  4. 2026SkillsVote: Lifecycle Governance of Agent Skills from Collection, Recommendation to Evolutioncited by 18
  5. 2026A Self-Evolving Framework for Efficient Terminal Agents via Observational Context Compressioncited by 12
  6. 2026ClawGym: A Scalable Framework for Building Effective Claw Agentscited by 11
  7. 2026ClawArena: Benchmarking AI Agents in Evolving Information Environmentscited by 10
  8. 2026Agentic Environment Engineering for Large Language Models: A Survey of Environment Modeling, Synthesis, Evaluation, and Applicationcited by 8
  9. 2026Orchard: An Open-Source Agentic Modeling Frameworkcited by 7
  10. 2026EnvHarness: Awakening Static Worlds for Agent Learningcited by 7
  11. 2026WikiSkill: Compiling Agent Experience into Persistent Knowledge for Skill Evolutioncited by 7
  12. 2026ClawEnvKit: Automatic Environment Generation for Claw-Like Agentscited by 6
23 more
  1. 2026Dynamic Agent Skills: A Lifecycle Survey and Taxonomy of Evolving Skill Librariescited by 6
  2. 2026Do Agent Optimizers Compound? A Continual-Learning Evaluation on Terminal-Bench 2.0cited by 6
  3. 2026Skill0.5: Joint Skill Internalization and Utilization for Out-of-Distribution Generalization in Agentic Reinforcement Learningcited by 5
  4. 2026VideoWeaver: Evaluating and Evolving Skills for Agentic Long Video Generationcited by 5
  5. 2026When Self-Evolution Backfires: Pre-Commit Gating against Skill Contamination in LLM Agentscited by 5
  6. 2026SkillMAS: Skill Co-Evolution with LLM-based Multi-Agent Systemcited by 3
  7. 2026RRSI: Regularized Recursive Self-Improvement of Agent Harnessescited by 3
  8. 2026Ace-Skill: Bootstrapping Multimodal Agents with Prioritized and Clustered Evolutioncited by 2
  9. 2026Agent-ValueBench: A Comprehensive Benchmark for Evaluating Agent Valuescited by 2
  10. 2026VisualClaw: A Real-Time, Personalized Agent for the Physical Worldcited by 2
  11. 2026UniClawBench: A Universal Benchmark for Proactive Agents on Real-World Taskscited by 2
  12. 2026SkillReason: Reasoning-Enhanced Agent Skill Retrieval for Implicit User Requestscited by 2
  13. 2026Synthetic Computers at Scale for Long-Horizon Productivity Simulationcited by 1
  14. 2026JAVEDIT: Joint Audio-Visual Instruction-Guided Video Editing with Agentic Data Curationcited by 1
  15. 2026SubtleMemory: A Benchmark for Fine-Grained Relational Memory Discrimination in Long-Horizon AI Agentscited by 1
  16. 2026FlowEvo: Self-Evolving Agents through the Co-Evolution of Workflows and Executable Skillscited by 1
  17. 2026Chain-of-Experience for Continual LLM Improvementcited by 1
  18. 2026Rethinking Agentic Reinforcement Learning In Large Language Modelscited by 0
  19. 2026OpenClaw and Ollama in Agentic AI: Toward Fully Autonomous and Scalable AI Agent Systemscited by 0
  20. 2026FRAMES: Guarded and Dual-Objective Skill Evolution for Agents in Policy-Governed Enterprise Workflowscited by 0
  21. 2026RingMoClaw: An Experience-Inspired Multi-Agent Framework for Self-Evolving Research in Remote Sensingcited by 0
  22. 2026Analyzing and Mitigating Cost-Inefficient Behaviors in Coding Agentscited by 0
  23. 2026SCLATE: a Substrate for Continual-Learning Agent Training and Evaluationcited by 0

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2026MetaEvo: A Meta-Optimization Framework for Experience-Driven Agent Evolution
  2. 2026ContinualSkillBench: Can LLM Agents Truly Evolve Their Capabilities?
  3. 2026Skill1: Unified Evolution of Skill-Augmented Agents via Reinforcement Learning
  4. 2026MAGE: Meta-Reinforcement Learning for Language Agents toward Strategic Exploration and Exploitation
  5. 2026Skill-MAS: Evolving Meta-Skill for Automatic Multi-Agent Systems
  6. 2026Skill-R1: Agent Skill Evolution via Reinforcement Learning
  7. 2026SkillAdaptor: Self-Adapting Skills for LLM Agents from Trajectories
  8. 2026MetaSkill-Evolve: Recursive Self-Improvement of LLM Agents via Two-Timescale Meta-Skill Evolution