OpenAI Eyes OpenClaw Founder to Build Personal AI Agents

OpenAI is making moves to bolster its personal agents ambitions. The company is in advanced discussions to hire Peter Steinberger, founder of OpenClaw, along with several members of his team.

Steinberger and the other hires have been involved in maintaining the OpenClaw project. At OpenAI, Steinberger would likely focus on personal agents — a category that's becoming a major battleground among AI heavyweights.

The acqui-hire style deal would give OpenAI fresh talent in a space where shipping fast matters more than ever. Personal agents — AI systems that can act on behalf of users across apps and services — are shaping up to be the next killer feature every major AI lab wants to crack.

Terms of the deal haven't been disclosed. Neither OpenAI nor Steinberger have publicly commented.