A New Step Towards the Future of AI Agents

Peter Steinberger, the founder of OpenClaw (previously known as Moltbot and Clawd), has decided to join OpenAI, marking a significant shift for the popular open-source AI agent project. The tool recently gained traction among developers because it is easy to set up and does not rely on cloud infrastructure, enabling many users to build and share agentic workflows.

Steinberger said OpenClaw will transition to being managed by a foundation while remaining open, independent, and fully open-source. At OpenAI, he plans to focus on building accessible AI agents designed for everyday users, including those without deep technical knowledge. OpenAI leadership highlighted that personal AI agents are expected to become central to the company’s future products.

Although OpenClaw had the potential to evolve into a commercial company, Steinberger described himself as “a builder at heart” and chose collaboration over launching a startup. The project will remain free to use, modify, and fork, ensuring it cannot be turned into a closed proprietary system, while continuing to serve the broader open-source community.