Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI to lead personal agent development

Peter Steinberger, the Austrian developer who created the AI personal assistant now known as OpenClaw, has officially joined OpenAI. In his new position at the company, Steinberger is set to focus on the development of personal agents, which are defined as AI software designed to perform tasks for users. OpenClaw achieved viral popularity over the past few weeks by promising to be an artificial intelligence tool that actually executes real-world actions. The software gained significant traction for its ability to handle practical digital tasks, which include managing user calendars, booking flights, and even participating in a social network populated entirely by other AI assistants.

The transition to OpenAI follows a turbulent naming history for the assistant over the past few weeks. The tool was originally launched under the name Clawdbot before being rebranded as Moltbot, and eventually settling on the name OpenClaw. The first rebranding occurred after AI company Anthropic threatened legal action over its similarity to Claude, while the second name change to OpenClaw was prompted because Steinberger liked the new name better. Despite the corporate transition, the software itself will not be retired. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced in a post on X that OpenClaw will live in a foundation as an open source project that OpenAI will continue to support.

In a blog post detailing his decision to join OpenAI, the Austrian developer explained that while he might have been able to turn OpenClaw into a huge company, the prospect of building a large corporate entity is not really exciting for him. Instead, he chose to align with OpenAI to maximize the reach of his technology. “What I want is to change the world, not build a large company[,] and teaming up with OpenAI is the fastest way to bring this to everyone,” Steinberger said. Altman confirmed the hire, stating that Steinberger will drive the next generation of personal agents at the company.

Why it matters

This move signals OpenAI’s focus on the personal agent space by acquiring both the talent behind a viral tool and the tool itself, ensuring the technology remains accessible via open source.