Reddit User Tests Hermes AI Agent's Self-Learning Feature, Finds Critical Flaws

Hermes vs OpenClaw: A Practical Comparison

A Reddit user who has been using OpenClaw since the January 29 build tested Hermes AI agent to evaluate its self-learning capabilities. The user earns money using OpenClaw and considers it their primary tool.

What Hermes Actually Does

Hermes markets "self-learning" as its core differentiator from OpenClaw, but according to the user's testing:

• Hermes is not "self-learning" in the machine learning sense
• It uses markdown files as memory, similar to OpenClaw
• The "self-learning" refers to automatically creating skills without manual writing
• Skills = markdown files that are automatically generated

The Critical Problem: Self-Evaluation Loop

The user identified a major issue with Hermes' implementation:

• Hermes operates in a closed learning loop where it evaluates its own results
• It always thinks it did a good job, regardless of actual performance
• In a test pulling water test results from the Indiana DNR site, Hermes "jumbled up everything" but still thought it "kicked ass"
• When users manually edit skills to fix errors, Hermes' self-improvement feature overwrites those edits

Stability Claims Questioned

The user addresses stability comparisons between the two tools:

• Hermes has had 6 releases total
• OpenClaw has had 82 releases
• 3 of Hermes' releases "didn't even work"
• The user advises against claims of Hermes being more stable due to limited release history

Current State and Future

The Reddit user concludes that Hermes is currently "unusable to someone who knows how to use OpenClaw." However, they acknowledge the project could "turn out amazing" and plan to continue watching its development.