OpenClaw, the viral AI agent, continues to generate buzz. However, this time it’s its creator who’s making headlines in the world of artificial intelligence. Peter Steinberger, the Austrian developer founder of OpenClaw, recently announced he’s joining OpenAI. It seems that the parent company of ChatGPT was drawn to OpenClaw’s proactive capabilities (formerly known as ClawdBot and Moltbot) and wants to implement something similar in its own AI models.
We could say that the way we interact with AI could change drastically in the coming years. Until now, most AI tools have followed the classic “prompt-response” structure. However, Steinberger’s AI agent showed a glimpse of what AI is capable of when it can actually act instead of just talking.
OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI to lead proactive AI agents
If you haven’t been following the GitHub charts lately, OpenClaw became a viral hit by promising to be the assistant that truly gets things done. Unlike standard AI, OpenClaw can manage your calendar, book flights, or handle tedious emails. It even gained fame for “MoltBook,” a quirky social network where AI agents could interact with each other away from human eyes.
The project’s rise was meteoric. It reached over 100,000 stars on GitHub and millions of visitors in record time. However, it also faced challenges, including security concerns over malicious “skills” uploaded by third parties. Also, the name changes derived from legal nudges from competitors like Anthropic.
Why join OpenAI?
Many expected Steinberger to turn OpenClaw into a massive, independent corporation. However, the developer admitted that building a large company wasn’t his primary goal. As a “builder at heart,” he expressed that joining OpenAI is the fastest way to bring his vision of personal agents to the masses.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, welcomed Steinberger on X (formerly Twitter). Altman described him as a genius who will drive the next generation of personal agents. Altman believes the future is “extremely multi-agent,” where different AI programs talk to one another to solve complex human problems. According to him, this technology will quickly become a core part of what OpenAI offers.
OpenClaw to remain open source
A common fear when a giant company hires a solo founder is that the original project will disappear behind a paywall. To address this, Altman confirmed that OpenClaw will live on as an open-source project within a dedicated foundation, with continued support from OpenAI.
This balance between corporate power and open-source freedom is crucial. While OpenAI faces stiff competition from companies like Meta and Anthropic, bringing in top talent like Steinberger helps them stay ahead in the race for “agentic AI.”
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