OpenAI Snags OpenClaw Founder to Build Personal AI Agents
Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI to lead development of next-gen personal agents that interact with each other.
OpenAI just pulled off another talent grab. Peter Steinberger, the founder of OpenClaw, is heading to Sam Altman's shop to build what the company calls "the next generation of personal agents."
Altman announced the hire himself, calling Steinberger a "genius" with big ideas about smart agents that can interact with each other to get useful things done for people. OpenAI expects the work to "quickly become core" to its product strategy.
For anyone tracking the agent wars, this is a clear signal. OpenAI isn't just building chatbots anymore — it's assembling a team laser-focused on autonomous agents that work together in coordinated ways.
One notable detail: OpenClaw will remain open source. So Steinberger's previous project lives on, even as he shifts focus to OpenAI's closed-garden ambitions. A classic Silicon Valley move — acqui-hire the brain, leave the code behind.