OpenClaw Creator Peter Steinberger Joins OpenAI to Lead Next-Generation Personal AI Agents

15.02.2026

Peter Steinberger, the developer behind the viral AI personal assistant OpenClaw, has officially joined OpenAI to spearhead the development of next-generation personal AI agents.

OpenClaw, previously known as Clawdbot and later Moltbot, gained significant traction in recent weeks as an AI assistant capable of performing real-world tasks such as calendar management, flight booking, and even participating in AI-exclusive social networks. The project underwent multiple rebranding iterations—first due to legal concerns from Anthropic regarding similarities to their Claude assistant, and subsequently based on Steinberger's personal preference.

In his official announcement, the Austrian developer explained his decision to join OpenAI rather than scale OpenClaw into an independent enterprise. "It's not really exciting for me," Steinberger stated, emphasizing that his primary motivation is global impact rather than company building. He believes that partnering with OpenAI represents the most efficient path to democratizing this technology at scale.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed that Steinberger will lead initiatives focused on advancing personal agent capabilities. Regarding the future of OpenClaw, Altman announced that the project will transition to an open-source foundation with continued support from OpenAI, ensuring its accessibility to the developer community.

This acquisition represents OpenAI's strategic move to strengthen its position in the personal AI assistant market, leveraging Steinberger's proven expertise in building user-centric AI solutions that bridge the gap between conversational interfaces and actionable task execution.

Sources:
OpenClaw Official Website
Peter Steinberger's Blog Post
Sam Altman's X Post