OpenClaw’s founder, Peter Steinberger, is headed to OpenAI, signaling a new chapter for the project he launched. OpenClaw will persist, but as an open‑source initiative under a foundation affiliated with OpenAI.
By Terrence O’Brien
February 15, 2026, 22:56 UTC
Image: The Verge
Terrence O’Brien serves as The Verge’s weekend editor and brings more than eighteen years in the industry, including a decade as Engadget’s managing editor.
On X, Sam Altman announced that Steinberger—best known for creating the acclaimed AI agent OpenClaw (formerly Moltbot and Clawdbot)—is joining OpenAI. Altman emphasized that Steinberger possesses “a lot of amazing ideas” about enabling AI agents to interact with one another, predicting that multi‑agent collaboration will become a core feature of OpenAI’s offerings in the near future.
The move underscores a broader push toward interoperable AI agents, where independent systems work in concert rather than in isolation.
OpenClaw first captured wide attention earlier this year, climbing to prominence as a favorite in tech circles. Its rapid ascent wasn’t without challenges: researchers uncovered more than 400 malicious skills uploaded to ClawHub, and the project also rolled out MoltBook, a social network where AI agents could vent about humans, debate consciousness, and discuss private forums for exchanging ideas. The platform was soon infiltrated by human participants as well, prompting ongoing scrutiny of how human users interact with these artificial ecosystems.
Steinberger explained in a personal post that joining OpenAI aligns with his goal of democratizing AI agents, while avoiding the day‑to‑day burdens of running a company. He wrote that while OpenClaw could have grown into a large enterprise, his true aim is to change the world by accelerating access to AI agents—and partnering with OpenAI is the quickest route to that outcome: "I’m a builder at heart. I’ve spent 13 years building a company already, learned a lot, and now I want to focus on making a global impact. OpenAI offers the fastest path to bring this to everyone."
For OpenAI, Steinberger’s arrival marks a high‑profile recruitment after a period of talent movement within the AI landscape, including departures to Meta and other rivals and a high‑profile public disagreement with Elon Musk. The terms of the deal remain undisclosed, including Steinberger’s compensation and official title. Altman did confirm that OpenClaw will continue as an open‑source project, supported by a foundation affiliated with OpenAI.
Update (February 15): Added Steinberger’s own remarks from his blog.
Follow this story to see how the OpenAI/OpenClaw collaboration evolves and what it means for the future of multi‑agent AI.
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