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@kala ・ Feb 16,2026
Peter Steinberger, creator of OpenClaw, is joining OpenAI to work on bringing AI agents to a broader audience, while OpenClaw will move to an independent open-source foundation and continue development outside OpenAI’s direct control.
On February 14, 2026, Peter Steinberger announced that he is joining OpenAI to work on AI agents.
OpenClaw will move to an independent open-source foundation while remaining open source, with sponsorship support from OpenAI.
OpenClaw, formerly Clawdbot and Moltbot, is a free and open-source autonomous AI agent that executes tasks through large language models and uses messaging platforms as its primary interface.
The project was originally released in November 2025 and gained significant traction in January 2026 following the viral popularity of the Moltbook agent-only social network.
OpenClaw has accumulated over 145,000 GitHub stars and 20,000 forks, and has been adopted by companies in Silicon Valley and China.
Peter Steinberger, the creator of OpenClaw, has joined OpenAI to work on AI agent accessibility. OpenClaw, initially known as Clawdbot and later Moltbot, is an open-source AI agent designed for complex tasks using large language models and integration with messaging platforms. The project will transition to a foundation to maintain its open and independent status, with support from OpenAI.
Steinberger's move to OpenAI is driven by his focus on developing user-friendly AI agents. He believes that collaboration with OpenAI will accelerate this process by providing access to advanced models and research.
Yes, I could totally see how OpenClaw could become a huge company. And no, it’s not really exciting for me. I’m a builder at heart. I did the whole creating-a-company game already, poured 13 years of my life into it and learned a lot. 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
On the other hand, OpenAI considers Steinberger instrumental in improving autonomous agents from basic chatbots to sophisticated systems capable of performing specific tasks.
The shift of OpenClaw to a foundation will allow it to remain an open-source project while benefiting from OpenAI's financial and technical backing and preserving its community-driven ethos.
The integration of OpenClaw's autonomous agents into OpenAI's portfolio introduces new monetization opportunities and new business models while positioning OpenAI as a significant entity in the digital economy. This change is crucial as OpenAI competes with other technology companies including Anthropic and Google and seeks to convert its technological progress into more sustainable revenue streams.
The number of stars amassed by OpenClaw on GitHub.
The number of forks amassed by OpenClaw on GitHub.
The valuation of OpenAI.
Peter Steinberger is the creator of OpenClaw and has joined OpenAI to work on developing accessible AI agents.
OpenAI is an organization that has recruited Peter Steinberger to enhance their productivity and innovation in AI development.
The OpenClaw Foundation is established to ensure the OpenClaw project remains open and independent.
OpenClaw is an open-source project that will continue to be supported by OpenAI and transition to a foundation.
OpenClaw, originally named Clawdbot, was published by Peter Steinberger.
The project was renamed to Moltbot following trademark complaints.
The project was renamed again to OpenClaw.
OpenClaw gained popularity due to its open-source nature and the viral success of the Moltbook project.
Peter Steinberger announced his decision to join OpenAI, and OpenClaw was set to transition to an open-source foundation.
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