Editorial illustration for OpenAI hires OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger, Altman says
OpenClaw Creator Joins OpenAI in Major Tech Talent Move
OpenAI hires OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger, Altman says
OpenAI’s talent roster just got a notable addition, and the move hints at where the company’s research may be heading next. The newcomer is the founder of OpenClaw, an AI agent that has attracted attention for its sleek interface and practical demos. By bringing Steinberger into the fold, OpenAI signals an interest in expanding beyond single‑task models toward systems that can cooperate, negotiate, and hand off work among themselves.
While the tech community has debated the merits of multi‑agent architectures for months, a high‑profile hire like this gives the idea a concrete foothold inside a leading lab. Here’s the thing: the announcement came via Sam Altman’s post on X, where he highlighted Steinberger’s “a lot of amazing ideas” about inter‑agent interaction. The comment underscores a belief that the next wave of AI will be defined not just by individual agents, but by how they mesh together.
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Sam Altman announced on X that Peter Steinberger, the man behind the trendy AI agent OpenClaw, was joining OpenAI. He said that Steinberger has "a lot of amazing ideas" about getting AI agents to interact with each other, saying "the future is going to be extremely multi-agent." He also said that th
Sam Altman announced on X that Peter Steinberger, the man behind the trendy AI agent OpenClaw, was joining OpenAI. He said that Steinberger has "a lot of amazing ideas" about getting AI agents to interact with each other, saying "the future is going to be extremely multi-agent." He also said that this ability for agents to work together will "quickly become core to our product offerings." OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI OpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. OpenClaw will live on as an open-source project. OpenClaw, previously known as Moltbot and Clawdbot, exploded on the scene earlier this year and became the darling of the tech world.
Peter Steinberger’s move to OpenAI marks a notable shift for the creator of the OpenClaw agent. A bold move. Altman’s X post highlighted Steinberger’s “amazing ideas” about agents talking to each other, and he framed a “future… extremely multi‑agent.” The announcement also promised that such collaboration “will quickly become core to our product offerings.” OpenClaw itself will remain an open‑source project, according to the brief.
But does the hire guarantee that multi‑agent functionality will materialize soon? The statement leaves open how quickly OpenAI can turn concept into deployed features. It is unclear whether the integration will reshape existing services or stay experimental.
Still, the addition of a known open‑source contributor could signal a willingness to explore cross‑agent dynamics. Whether this translates into measurable improvements for end users remains to be seen. For now, the facts are limited to the hiring announcement, the expressed optimism about multi‑agent work, and the continuation of OpenClaw as an open‑source effort.
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Common Questions Answered
What makes OpenClaw unique in the AI agent landscape?
OpenClaw is a self-hosted AI agent platform with a unique ability to modify its own source code and understand its internal architecture. The framework supports multiple AI models and allows agents to operate both locally and on cloud platforms, making it highly adaptable and flexible.
Why are Meta and OpenAI interested in acquiring OpenClaw?
Both companies are attracted to OpenClaw's innovative approach to AI agents, particularly its self-modifying capabilities and open-source architecture. Peter Steinberger's vision of specialized, context-aware AI agents that can collaborate and evolve represents a significant breakthrough in AI technology.
How did Mark Zuckerberg initially approach Peter Steinberger during acquisition discussions?
Zuckerberg contacted Steinberger via WhatsApp and was unusually hands-on, asking to have an immediate call and mentioning he needed to finish coding first. During their initial conversation, they even had a casual 10-minute debate about AI coding models like Claude Code and Codex, with Zuckerberg later describing Steinberger as 'eccentric, but brilliant'.