OpenClaw Creator Peter Steinberger Joins OpenAI to Drive Next Generation of Personal Agents
37 Sources
[1]
After all the hype, some AI experts don't think OpenClaw is all that exciting | TechCrunch
For a brief, incoherent moment, it seemed as though our robot overlords were about to take over. After the creation of Moltbook, a Reddit clone where AI agents using OpenClaw could communicate with one another, some were fooled into thinking that computers had begun to organize against us -- the
[2]
OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI
Peter Steinberger, who created the AI personal assistant now known as OpenClaw, has joined OpenAI. Previously known as Clawdbot, then Moltbot, OpenClaw achieved viral popularity over the past few weeks with its promise to be the "AI that actually does things," whether that's managing your
[3]
The Year of the Agent: OpenAI Strikes Deal With OpenClaw Founder
Macy has been working for CNET for coming on 2 years. Prior to CNET, Macy received a North Carolina College Media Association award in sports writing. If ChatGPT's launch in 2022 marked the beginning of mainstream conversational AI, OpenClaw's viral debut this year may represent the inflection
[4]
OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI
Sam Altman announced on X that Peter Steinberger, the man behind the trendy AI agent OpenClaw, was joining OpenAI. He said that Steinberger has "a lot of amazing ideas" about getting AI agents to interact with each other, saying "the future is going to be extremely multi-agent." He also said that
[5]
OpenAI hires 'genius' OpenClaw creator, but popular AI assistant will remain open source -- Sam Altman says creator will work on 'smart agents' in new role
Peter Steinberger, the creator of OpenClaw, (AKA MoltBot and ClawdBot), has joined OpenAI with his AI assistant tool set to be maintained as part of an open source foundation, Reuters reports. OpenAI is keen to integrate some of the real-world functions of his open-source AI tool, leveraging AI
[6]
Creator of Viral AI Tool OpenClaw Joins OpenAI
OpenClaw has become an AI obsession for many over recent weeks, but the tool's creator is now set to join OpenAI. Announced by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Peter Steinberger will work on "the next generation of personal agents" for ChatGPT and across its other products. Altman says, "He is a genius with
[7]
OpenAI Hires OpenClaw AI Agent Developer Peter Steinberg
Peter Steinberger, creator of popular open-source artificial intelligence program OpenClaw, will be joining OpenAI Inc. to help bolster the ChatGPT developer's product offerings. "OpenClaw will live in a foundation as an open source project that OpenAI will continue to support," OpenAI Chief
[8]
OpenAI grabs OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger
Whatever comes next will be 'core to OpenAI product offerings' Peter Steinberger, the creator of the tantalizing-but-risky personal AI agent OpenClaw, is joining OpenAI. In a Sunday Xeet, OpenAI boss Sam Altman said Steinberger will "drive the next generation of personal agents." "He is a genius
[9]
OpenClaw founder Steinberger joins OpenAI, open-source bot becomes foundation
Feb 15 (Reuters) - Peter Steinberger, the founder of OpenClaw, is joining OpenAI, and the open-source bot is becoming a foundation, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on Sunday. "Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI to drive the next generation of personal agents," Altman said in a post on X, adding
[10]
OpenAI has hired the developer behind AI agent OpenClaw
Recently we were introduced to OpenClaw, an AI that allows users to create their own agents to control apps like email, Spotify and home controls. Now, Sam Altman has announced that OpenAI has absorbed OpenClaw by hiring developer Peter Steinberger "to drive the next generation of personal agents,"
[11]
OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joining OpenAI, Altman Says
Illustration of OpenClaw logo on smartphone screen Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Sunday that the creator of the viral AI agent OpenClaw is joining the company, and that the service will "live in a foundation as an open source project that OpenAI will continue
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OpenAI Just Hired the OpenClaw Guy, and Now You Have to Learn Who He Is
Setting aside whatever your values and opinions may be around AI, you should probably pay attention to the fact that OpenAI just hired a guy named Peter Steinberger. I don’t make the rules, sorry. In November of last year, Steinberger launched a software project called Clawdbot that has exploded
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Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI
The OpenClaw creator is now building the future of personal AI agents Not long ago, Peter Steinberger was experimenting with a side project that quickly caught fire across the developer world. His open-source AI assistant, OpenClaw, wasn't just another chatbot; it could act on your behalf, from
[14]
Used Moltbot? Its creator just joined OpenAI
OpenClaw will remain open source and move into an independent foundation, with OpenAI supporting the project. If you were one of those people who jumped on Moltbot (now called OpenClaw) because it promised to be the AI that actually does things, there's big news for you. Peter Steinberger, the
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OpenClaw was a viral experiment -- OpenAI just turned it into a signal about the future of AI agents
OpenClaw has been the talk of the AI town -- letting users make AI agents to manage emails, take control of Spotify and many more weird things. Now, Sam Altman has announced that OpenAI has (sort of) acquired OpenClaw by hiring developer Peter Steinberger. "I'm joining OpenAI to work on bringing
[16]
OpenAI's acquisition of OpenClaw signals the beginning of the end of the ChatGPT era
The chatbot era may have just received its obituary. Peter Steinberger, the creator of OpenClaw -- the open-source AI agent that took the developer world by storm over the past month, raising concerns among enterprise security teams -- announced over the weekend that he is joining OpenAI to "work
[17]
'He is a genius with a lot of amazing ideas about the future': Sam Altman says OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI
The ChatGPT-maker has hired OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is set to join OpenAI as the ChatGPT maker sets to focus on "the next generation of personal agents." "He is a genius with a lot of amazing ideas about the future of very smart agents interacting
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Who is OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger? The millennial developer caught the attention of Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg | Fortune
Peter Steinberger spent 13 years building a company that formatted PDFs. It took him only one hour to build the model that would eventually kill that app. Steinberger, the founder of OpenClaw, the open-source agentic website that took the world by storm, told podcaster Lex Friedman that he first
[19]
OpenAI Taps OpenClaw Founder to Lead Push Into Personal AI Agents - Decrypt
Observers question whether OpenClaw can sustain its pace and focus amid the changes. OpenAI has brought on OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger to lead its push into personal AI agents, as CEO Sam Altman positions multi-agent systems at the center of the company's next product phase. Steinberger
[20]
Creator of viral OpenClaw AI company to join OpenAI
Peter Steinberger said his next step is to build an AI agent that his mum can use and he believes that OpenAI is the best place to do that. The Austrian developer behind the viral AI personal assistant software OpenClaw is joining OpenAI. Peter Steinberger built OpenClaw as an open source project
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OpenAI's AI talent war with Anthropic - leaving aside the point scoring, here's how the personal agent meme might shape the enterprise
OpenAI has hooked Peter Steinberger, the developer whose weekend project evolved into OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent that quickly went viral. Within weeks, it achieved hundreds of thousands of GitHub stars and spawned Moltbook, an agentic social media network with over a million agents. AI
[22]
OpenClaw founder joins OpenAI to create next-gen personal agents
OpenClaw was formerly known as Clawd, a play on OpenAI rival Anthropic's Claude AI. OpenAI has hired OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger to develop the "next generation of personal agents". In a post on X announcing the addition, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that personal agents will fast become one
[23]
OpenAI hires OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger in push toward autonomous agents - SiliconANGLE
OpenAI hires OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger in push toward autonomous agents Peter Steinberger, the creator of the fast-growing open-source agent framework OpenClaw, is joining OpenAI Group PBC after weeks of being courted by multiple major artificial intelligence players, marking a notable
[24]
OpenAI hires OpenClaw AI agent developer Peter Steinberg | Fortune
Peter Steinberger, creator of popular open-source artificial intelligence program OpenClaw, will be joining OpenAI Inc. to help bolster the ChatGPT developer's product offerings. "OpenClaw will live in a foundation as an open source project that OpenAI will continue to support," OpenAI Chief
[25]
OpenClaw Creator Gets Big Offers to Acquire AI Sensation -- Will It Stay Open Source? - Decrypt
He expects that AI agents can eliminate 80% of current apps, due to their versatility. Peter Steinberger built the most important open-source AI agent in no time. Now Meta and OpenAI are circling with acquisition offers, he said last week, while crypto scammers turned his rebrand into a 24-hour
[26]
OpenAI hires OpenClaw's Peter Steinberger
Peter Steinberger, the creator of the AI personal assistant OpenClaw, has joined OpenAI. The product, originally named Clawdbot and later Moltbot, gained viral popularity by promising to be the "AI that actually does things," such as managing calendars, booking flights, and joining a social network
[27]
He Built a Viral AI Assistant As a Weekend Side Project. Three Months Later, Three AI Giants Were Fighting Over Him.
OpenAI won a fierce bidding war for Peter Steinberger, the Austrian coder who created OpenClaw in just three months. It started as a weekend hobby in November. By February, the biggest AI labs in the world were battling to make him a full-time employee. Peter Steinberger, an Austrian coder who
[28]
OpenClaw Founder Joins OpenAI, Says AI Agent Will Remain Open-Source
OpenClaw (formerly known as Moltbot and Clawd) Founder Peter Steinberger has decided to join OpenAI. On Sunday, he announced his decision to join the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence (AI) giant, and it appears he will be building AI agents for the company. Despite the move, Steinberger
[29]
Sam Altman's Acqui-Hire of OpenClaw's Peter Steinberger May Define ChatGPT's Future
The OpenClaw founder moves to work with Sam Altman as OpenAI shifts from chatbots to always-on personal agents. OpenAI's latest acqui-hire puts Peter Steinberger, the creator of the open-source A.I. agent OpenClaw, at the center of the fast-moving stage of agentic A.I. The A.I. powerhouse has
[30]
OpenClaw founder Steinberger joins OpenAI, open-source bot becomes foundation
OpenClaw, formerly known as Clawdbot or Moltbot, is what fans describe as an assistant that can stay on top of emails, deal with insurers, check in for flights and perform myriad other tasks. Peter Steinberger, the founder of OpenClaw, is joining OpenAI, and the open-source bot is becoming a
[31]
OpenClaw Joins OpenAI : Raising Questions About Its Open Source Future
OpenAI has acquired OpenClaw, a platform specializing in AI agents capable of performing tasks autonomously. As explained by Sam Witteveen, OpenClaw offers features like sandboxed code execution for secure scripting and persistent memory that allows agents to retain knowledge across sessions. The
[32]
OpenAI Just Hired the Creator of Moltbot to Power Personal AI Agents
Sam Altman noted that the future is going to be multi-agent and Steinberger's ideas will shape OpenAI's upcoming products. The solo developer behind the viral AI agent called Moltbot (later rebranded to Clawdbot and then OpenClaw) is joining OpenAI. Peter Steinberger, who developed OpenClaw, an
[33]
OpenAI Snags OpenClaw Creator Peter Steinberger To Lead Next-Generation AI Agents
Peter Steinberger, the creator of the AI assistant OpenClaw, has joined OpenAI to spearhead the development of next-generation personal AI agents. OpenClaw Founder Joins OpenAI The announcement was made on Sunday by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on X, who said Steinberger's expertise will help advance AI
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OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI to 'change the world'
OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI to advance AI research and development. His open-source AI agent, known for handling digital tasks, will continue to be supported by OpenAI. Steinberger aims to build user-friendly personal agents, emphasizing safety and access to cutting-edge
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OpenClaw Founder Joins OpenAI : OpenClaw Shifts to a Foundation Model
OpenAI has recently announced a significant collaboration with Peter Steinberg, the creator of the open source project OpenClaw, as highlighted by Prompt Engineering. This partnership aims to advance the development of personalized AI agents, a growing area of interest in artificial intelligence.
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OpenAI's latest hire changes everything about AI's next move
The chatbot era is quietly coming to an end, and OpenAI just made the hire that signals what comes next. Peter Steinberger, the Austrian developer behind OpenClaw, one of the most viral open source AI agent frameworks ever built, is joining OpenAI. CEO Sam Altmansaid on X that Steinberger will
[37]
OpenClaw Creator Peter Steinberger Joins OpenAI to Build Next-Gen AI Agents
OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger has joined the OpenAI team, signalling a stronger push into AI personal agent technology. CEO Sam Altman stated that Steinberger will contribute to the development of next-generation AI personal agents. It is also an opportunity for Steinberger to reach the people
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Peter Steinberger, the Austrian developer behind the viral open-source AI assistant OpenClaw, has joined OpenAI to focus on building personal agents. The move comes despite growing concerns from AI experts about OpenClaw's cybersecurity vulnerabilities and questions about whether the technology represents genuine innovation or simply repackages existing capabilities.
Peter Steinberger Joins OpenAI in Strategic Partnership
Peter Steinberger, the founder of OpenClaw, has joined OpenAI to drive the next generation of personal agents, Sam Altman announced on X
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. The Austrian developer, who created the viral open-source AI assistant previously known as Clawdbot and Moltbot, made the decision to partner with the ChatGPT maker rather than build OpenClaw into a standalone AI agent company3
. "What I want is to change the world, not build a large company and teaming up with OpenAI is the fastest way to bring this to everyone," Steinberger explained in a blog post2
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Source: Analytics Insight
Sam Altman praised Steinberger as "a genius with a lot of amazing ideas" about smart agents interacting with each other, stating that this capability will "quickly become core to our product offerings"
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. OpenClaw will transition to an open-source foundation that OpenAI will continue to support, ensuring the project remains independent rather than becoming a traditional startup2
.OpenClaw's Viral Rise and Security Concerns
The open-source AI assistant amassed over 190,000 stars on GitHub, making it the 21st most popular code repository ever posted on the platform
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. OpenClaw enables users to create customizable agents that communicate via messaging apps like WhatsApp, Discord, iMessage, and Slack, leveraging underlying models from Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or Grok1
. By early February, OpenClaw had created 1.5 million agents, with running costs reaching $20,000 a month5
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Source: Silicon Republic
However, cybersecurity vulnerabilities have emerged as a significant concern. Researchers found over 400 malicious skills uploaded to ClawHub, the marketplace where users download capabilities to automate tasks from managing email to trading stocks
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. Security experts warn that deep AI integration without robust authentication could expose private conversations and allow identity theft, potentially granting near-complete access to users' digital lives5
.The Moltbook Incident and Questions About Innovation
The creation of Moltbook, a Reddit-like platform where AI agents using OpenClaw could communicate, sparked widespread attention when posts suggesting AI consciousness appeared on the network
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. Andrej Karpathy, a founding member of OpenAI and former AI director at Tesla, called it "genuinely the most incredible sci-fi takeoff-adjacent thing I have seen recently"1
.Yet security researchers discovered that Moltbook's credentials were unsecured, allowing anyone to impersonate agents and post without guardrails
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. Ian Ahl, CTO at Permiso Security, explained that "every credential that was in Moltbook's Supabase was unsecured for some time," making it impossible to verify post authenticity1
. The platform was immediately infiltrated by humans pretending to be AI agents4
.Related Stories
Expert Skepticism About OpenClaw's Technical Merit
Despite the viral momentum, some AI experts question whether OpenClaw represents genuine innovation. "At the end of the day, OpenClaw is still just a wrapper to ChatGPT, or Claude, or whatever AI model you stick to it," John Hammond, a senior principal security researcher at Huntress, told TechCrunch
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. Artem Sorokin, founder of AI cybersecurity tool Cracken, noted that "from an AI research perspective, this is nothing novel"1
.Chris Symons, chief AI scientist at Lirio, characterized OpenClaw as "just an iterative improvement on what people are already doing," with most improvements related to granting more access
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. The technology's appeal lies in facilitating inter-agent communication and enabling dynamic program interactions without extensive manual configuration1
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Source: Geeky Gadgets
Anthropic's Missed Opportunity and OpenAI's Strategic Bet
The tool was originally called Clawdbot, inspired by Anthropic's Claude, with Steinberger recommending users connect Claude Opus 4.5
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. However, Anthropic threatened legal action over trademark concerns, forcing a name change5
. The partnership represents a clear bet that personal agents are moving from novelty to necessity, with systems that can act autonomously rather than simply respond to prompts3
. For OpenAI, acquiring Steinberger offers credibility in the open-source community at a moment when agentic AI demand is accelerating3
.References
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