OpenAI Brings OpenClaw Creator Onboard as AI Agent Race Intensifies
OpenAI has recruited Steinberger, the creator of OpenClaw, one of the fastest-growing autonomous AI agents, signaling a deeper push into multi-agent systems.
Competition in autonomous AI systems is accelerating as companies race to build agents capable of independently completing complex tasks.
OpenAI has now brought in Peter Steinberger, the Austrian developer behind OpenClaw, integrating one of the most visible independent agent projects into its broader product strategy.
Altman Outlines Role and OpenClaw’s Structure
Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, took on his X account and announced that Peter Steinberger is joining the company to “drive the next generation of personal agents.”
The founder’s social media post highlighted that Steinberger is contributing numerous innovative ideas on how highly intelligent agents can collaborate to perform valuable tasks for users.
The post also noted that this work is expected to play a central role in OpenAI’s future product developments.
He also stated that OpenClaw will “live in a foundation as an open source project that OpenAI will continue to support,” emphasizing the company’s view that the future of AI will be highly multi-agent while still involving open source collaboration.
OpenClaw’s Rise and Rebrandings
According to TechCrunch, OpenClaw gained viral momentum in recent weeks by positioning itself as an AI assistant capable of executing tasks such as managing schedules, booking travel, and interacting across digital platforms.
The project was previously known as Clawdbot and later Moltbot. The first rebrand followed legal concerns raised by Anthropic regarding similarities to its Claude branding. The second change reflected Steinberger’s preference for a new identity.
Steinberger, while announcing his decision in a blog post, said that building a large standalone company was not his primary motivation. He stated that partnering with OpenAI offered the fastest way to bring his vision of task-oriented AI agents to a broader audience.
Competitive Context and Open Model Debate
Reporting from CNBC framed the hire within the broader generative AI competition. AI firms have been aggressively pursuing specialized talent as demand for autonomous systems grows.
OpenAI recently acquired an AI hardware startup founded by Jony Ive, while competitors, including Google and Anthropic, continue advancing their enterprise AI models.
CNBC also noted OpenClaw’s rapid spread in China, where it can integrate with local models such as DeepSeek and platforms tied to Baidu. At the same time, some researchers have raised cybersecurity concerns about highly customizable open agent frameworks.
What Steinberger’s Move Signals for OpenAI’s Strategy
Steinberger’s move shows that OpenAI wants to build smarter AI agents that can work on their own with less human help. By bringing his expertise inside the company, OpenAI is improving its own technology. At the same time, placing OpenClaw in a foundation supported open source structure shows it still wants to support the wider developer community.
Bringing OpenClaw’s creator in-house positions OpenAI to accelerate that roadmap while maintaining a visible commitment to open source participation in the evolving agent ecosystem.
