OpenClaw Creator Peter Steinberger Joins OpenAI, Project Moves to Independent Foundation

Peter Steinberger, the Austrian developer who built OpenClaw into one of the fastest-growing open-source projects in GitHub history, is joining OpenAI to lead the company's push into personal AI agents OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAItheverge.com·SecondaryOpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. OpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. 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 this ability for agents to work together will “quickly become core to our product offerings..

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the hire on X on Saturday, saying Steinberger would "drive the next generation of personal agents" and that the developer has "a lot of amazing ideas" about getting AI agents to interact with each other OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAItechcrunch.com·SecondaryPeter 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 calendar, booking flights, or even joining a social network full of other AI assistants.. Altman described the future as "extremely multi-agent" and said agent-to-agent collaboration would "quickly become core to our product offerings" OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAItechcrunch.com·SecondaryPeter 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 calendar, booking flights, or even joining a social network full of other AI assistants..

OpenClaw — the open-source AI assistant that exploded in popularity in late January 2026 — will not be absorbed into OpenAI. Instead, Steinberger is transitioning the project into an independent foundation, with OpenAI committing to sponsor and support it. As Altman put it, OpenClaw will "live in a foundation as an open source project that OpenAI will continue to support" OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAItechcrunch.com·SecondaryPeter 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 calendar, booking flights, or even joining a social network full of other AI assistants..

From Side Project to Global Phenomenon

The project's trajectory has been remarkable. Originally called Clawdbot, then Moltbot — the first rename came after Anthropic threatened legal action over the name's similarity to Claude, and the second simply because Steinberger preferred the new name — OpenClaw went from a personal playground project to drawing over 100,000 GitHub stars and 2 million visitors in a single week OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAItheverge.com·SecondaryOpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. OpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. 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 this ability for agents to work together will “quickly become core to our product offerings..

Its appeal was straightforward: an AI agent that could actually execute real-world tasks — managing calendars, booking flights, dealing with insurance companies, controlling smart homes — rather than just generating text. TechCrunch described it as the "AI that actually does things" OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAItheverge.com·SecondaryOpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. OpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. 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 this ability for agents to work together will “quickly become core to our product offerings.. The project also spawned MoltBook, a social network for AI agents that drew immediate attention when researchers discovered it had been infiltrated by humans posing as bots OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAItechcrunch.com·SecondaryPeter 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 calendar, booking flights, or even joining a social network full of other AI assistants..

But the rapid growth also brought scrutiny. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a warning that OpenClaw could pose significant security risks when improperly configured, exposing users to cyberattacks and data breaches OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAItechcrunch.com·SecondaryPeter 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 calendar, booking flights, or even joining a social network full of other AI assistants.. And earlier this month, researchers uncovered more than 400 malicious skills uploaded to ClawHub, the project's community marketplace OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAItechcrunch.com·SecondaryPeter 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 calendar, booking flights, or even joining a social network full of other AI assistants..

Steinberger's Rationale: Impact Over Empire

In a blog post published alongside the announcement, Steinberger addressed the obvious question — why not build OpenClaw into a standalone company? He acknowledged the possibility but dismissed it, telling TechCrunch that while he might have been able to turn OpenClaw into a huge company, he found the prospect unexciting OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAItheverge.com·SecondaryOpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. OpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. 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 this ability for agents to work together will “quickly become core to our product offerings..

Steinberger was referring to his previous experience with PSPDFKit, the PDF toolkit company he founded and ran for over a decade. Having already spent 13 years building and running a company, he indicated his motivation now lies in a different direction.

He framed joining OpenAI as the pragmatic choice for maximum impact. In his blog post, he wrote that his goal is to change the world rather than build a large company, and that partnering with OpenAI is the fastest path to bringing agent technology to everyone OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAItheverge.com·SecondaryOpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. OpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. 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 this ability for agents to work together will “quickly become core to our product offerings.. His stated ambition is building an AI agent accessible enough for non-technical users — something he said requires access to the latest models, more research on safety, and broader infrastructure than an independent developer can provide.

Steinberger spent the previous week in San Francisco meeting with major AI labs before making his decision OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAItheverge.com·SecondaryOpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. OpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. 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 this ability for agents to work together will “quickly become core to our product offerings.. That he chose OpenAI over the competition suggests he sees the company as best positioned to deliver on his agent-first vision.

Strategic Value for OpenAI

For OpenAI, the hire represents a significant talent acquisition at a time when the company has been losing high-profile figures. Several key employees have departed to Meta or left to form competing startups, and the company's public feud with Elon Musk has been a persistent distraction OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAItechcrunch.com·SecondaryPeter 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 calendar, booking flights, or even joining a social network full of other AI assistants..

Steinberger brings not just engineering expertise but a proven track record of building products that generate genuine user enthusiasm — a quality OpenAI's consumer products have increasingly needed as competitors like Anthropic's Claude, Google's Gemini, and China's DeepSeek close the gap with ChatGPT.

The multi-agent vision Altman outlined is particularly notable. While most AI companies have focused on single-agent interactions — one user, one chatbot — Steinberger's work with OpenClaw demonstrated the potential for networks of specialized agents collaborating on complex tasks. OpenAI appears to be betting that this architecture will define the next phase of consumer AI.

The timing is also significant. The AI industry has entered a phase where the base model race — training ever-larger language models — is becoming increasingly commoditized. The competitive advantage is shifting toward what companies build on top of those models, and practical agents that can execute real-world tasks represent one of the most promising application layers.

The Foundation Question

The decision to move OpenClaw into an independent foundation rather than folding it into OpenAI follows a familiar playbook in tech acqui-hires, where the original project gets nominally preserved as open-source while the creator's energy and ideas flow into the acquiring company's proprietary products.

Steinberger emphasized that maintaining OpenClaw's independence was a priority, and Altman's public commitment to continuing support suggests both sides see value in keeping the community alive OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAItheverge.com·SecondaryOpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. OpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. 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 this ability for agents to work together will “quickly become core to our product offerings..

Whether that independence holds up in practice remains to be seen. Corporate-sponsored open-source foundations have a mixed track record — some, like Linux and Kubernetes, thrive as genuinely independent ecosystems. Others gradually lose momentum once the founding developer's attention shifts elsewhere. The key variable tends to be whether the community has developed enough institutional gravity to sustain itself without its original champion.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAItechcrunch.com·SecondaryPeter 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 calendar, booking flights, or even joining a social network full of other AI assistants.. Neither Steinberger's compensation nor his specific title at OpenAI have been made public, though Altman's post indicated he would focus on personal agent development.

What Comes Next

The broader implications extend beyond one hire. OpenClaw's rise demonstrated significant consumer demand for AI agents that go beyond chatbot interactions — tools that can take actions in the real world on behalf of their users. The speed of its adoption — from obscure GitHub project to global phenomenon in a matter of weeks — suggests the market for practical AI agents is far larger than many in the industry had anticipated.

For the open-source AI community, the transition raises familiar questions about the sustainability of projects that depend heavily on a single charismatic developer. OpenClaw's community will need to prove it can sustain itself even as its creator's primary allegiance shifts to a $150 billion company.

The move also signals that the AI industry's center of gravity may be shifting from model development to agent infrastructure. Building larger language models is increasingly a commodity race; building systems that can reliably execute complex real-world tasks is where the differentiation — and the commercial value — may increasingly lie.