OpenAI hires 'genius' OpenClaw creator, but popular AI assistant will remain open source — Sam Altman says creator will work on 'smart agents' in new role
Peter Steinberger, the creator of OpenClaw, (AKA MoltBot and ClawdBot), has joined OpenAI with his AI assistant tool set to be maintained as part of an open source foundation, Reuters reports. OpenAI is keen to integrate some of the real-world functions of his open-source AI tool, leveraging AI agents to act as personal assistants to act out day-to-day busywork for the user.
“Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI to drive the next generation of personal agents,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on Twitter/X.
“He is a genius with a lot of amazing ideas about the future of very smart agents interacting with each other to do very useful things for people. We expect this will quickly become core to our product offerings.”
A high-profile hire
Steinberger is a high-profile get for OpenAI, and likely one envied by some of the AI developers' rivals. Steinberger's OpenClaw AI assistant tool became a sensation in AI circles in January, when users created a social media platform named Moltbook, just for the AI agents to post amongst themselves. Originally launched in November 2025, the tool allowed users to create their own AI smart assistants and integrate them with apps like calendars and email accounts, while allowing interaction and command prompts to be sent via chat tools like Telegram and Whatsapp.
Designed to be easy to use, OpenClaw is compatible with over 50 external services, can fill in forms, and execute scripts. It's designed to work without a dedicated app, but there are companion apps for macOS, iOS, and Android that add additional features like camera access and audio recording capabilities.
Through its mix of easy-access through local hardware compatibility and viral news stories about the Moltbook platform, OpenClaw generated significant interest. By the start of February this year, OpenClaw had created 1.5 million agents, with running costs quickly reaching $20,000 a month.
That's less likely to be a problem now. Although OpenAI or Steinberger has disclosed how much he's being paid, OpenAI isn't above spending big to acquire specific individuals, so he's likely been well compensated.
Unsurprisingly for an AI developer headhunted by one of the world's leading AI companies, Steinberger is bullish on the move. He plans to focus on developing agentic AI that are so simple "even [his] mum can use [them]."
“When I started exploring AI, my goal was to have fun and inspire people. And here we are, the lobster is taking over the world,” Steinberger said in a blog post.
Missing opportunities, dodging bullets
Although we'll have to see how much impact Steinberger makes at OpenAI, it's clear that Anthropic shot an own goal on this one. The tool was originally called ClawdBot, inspired by Anthropic's Claude. Steinberger even recommended users connect Claude Opus 4.5 to ClawdBot. However, their relationship soured. Instead of hiring the man making the viral AI tool, Anthropic threatened him with legal action.
“Anthropic asked us to change our name (trademark stuff), and honestly? Molt fits perfectly – it’s what lobsters do to grow,” Steinberger said of the news at the time. ClawdBot became MoltBot before he switched it to OpenClaw, deciding that the Molt name didn't really fit - though it did inspire the name of Moltbook when it was launched shortly after.
But while there's a chance Anthropic could have capitalized on Steinberger's success, popularity, and potential expertise on agentic AI integration, there's also a chance it's avoided a security and headline minefield. Security experts have warned that the deep integration of OpenClaw without robust security has left several glaring holes in its defences. These could reveal private conversations and allow for the theft of identities and personal information. Depending on what apps and services they give OpenClaw access to, there's the potential to allow near-complete access to your digital life without proper authentication.
Chasing relevance
The sceptical take on this new hire, though, is that it's just one more example of OpenAI chasing relevance. It might have the largest user base and the most impressive chatbot mindshare with ChatGPT, but Gemini is coming up fast with its own huge user base, and OpenAI's financials look increasingly precarious.
It launched Sora 2 in a big drive towards AI-driven social media, but interest in that tool has cratered since. Its Code-Red response to Gemini nipping at its heels didn't suddenly change its fortunes, and advertising in ChatGPT has gone down about as well as you might expect.
Can bringing in Steinberger make such a difference? It's hard to imagine OpenAI doesn't have the kind of developer talent it needs to develop an OpenClaw-like tool itself. Steinberger is supposed to have vibe-coded the first version of OpenClaw in about an hour.
Can't OpenAI do better? Perhaps now with him onboard they can. We'll have to see.
As for OpenClaw itself, it will remain an independent foundation that OpenAI will support. It's not clear how much focus Steinberger will give it, as OpenAI will likely be keen for him to focus on improving its agentic AI offerings instead. But forks and branches will be possible for anyone who wants to pick up the mandible mantle.
