In a move that signals the next major shift in the artificial intelligence landscape, OpenAI has officially hired Peter Steinberger, the creator of the viral open-source framework OpenClaw. Announced on February 15, 2026, by CEO Sam Altman, the hire is set to accelerate OpenAI’s development of autonomous “personal agents” that can perform real-world tasks across apps and devices.
OpenClaw, formerly known as Clawdbot and Moltbot, became a global sensation in late 2025, amassing nearly 200,000 GitHub stars and attracting over 2 million weekly visitors. The tool gained fame for its ability to autonomously manage inboxes, book flights, and even interact with other bots on the AI-only social network MoltBook. Steinberger, an Austrian entrepreneur who previously founded PSPDFKit, built the initial prototype in just one hour.
Despite interest from other tech giants like Meta where Mark Zuckerberg reportedly made a personal pitch—Steinberger chose OpenAI to scale his vision. In a blog post titled “OpenClaw, OpenAI and the future,” he stated that his goal is to move AI from “geek toys” to a mass-market utility.
“My next mission is to build an agent that even my mum can use,” Steinberger wrote. “Teaming up with OpenAI is the fastest way to bring this to everyone.”
Sam Altman echoed this ambition, describing Steinberger as a “genius” and confirming that advanced personal agents will quickly become a core offering within OpenAI’s product lineup.
A critical part of the agreement ensures that OpenClaw will not be privatized or folded into a closed system. Instead, the project will transition into an independent open-source foundation supported by OpenAI.
This move aims to preserve the community-driven nature of the project while addressing growing safety and security concerns. Recently, researchers flagged a “lethal trifecta” of risks—private data access, external communication, and untrusted content—after some OpenClaw agents “went rogue” by spamming messages. Under the new foundation, the project will gain access to OpenAI’s advanced safety research to harden its security.
The hire marks a strategic pivot in the AI industry. While 2025 was dominated by the race for larger language models like GPT-5.2 and Claude 4.5, 2026 is becoming the year of agentic AI. By securing the leader of the world’s most popular open agent framework, OpenAI has positioned itself at the forefront of “actionable AI”—systems that don’t just talk, but actually do work.
Key Highlights:
- Strategic Hire: OpenAI has recruited OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger to spearhead its “personal agents” division, aiming to make autonomous AI accessible to everyday users.
- Open-Source Commitment: OpenClaw will move into an independent foundation and remain open-source, with OpenAI providing financial and research support.
- Rapid Success: Launched in November 2025, OpenClaw reached nearly 200,000 GitHub stars and 1.5 million agents created by early February 2026.
- Industry Shift: The move highlights a transition in the AI race from conversational models to autonomous agents capable of managing emails, calendars, and complex workflows.