---
title: "OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI"
description: "The developer behind the viral AI agent OpenClaw has joined OpenAI. OpenClaw will remain an open source project."
url: https://kurddevelopers.com/en/news/openclaw-creator-peter-steinberger-joins-openai
language: en # English
type: news
published: 2026-02-15T20:30:00.000Z
updated: 2026-11-01T23:27:58.000Z
author: "Osamah Ismail"
author_url: https://kurddevelopers.com/en/author/1
section: "AI"
tags: ["OpenAI","OpenClaw","AI agents","open source"]
sources: ["TechCrunch","Peter Steinberger blog","Sam Altman on X"]
image: https://kurddevelopers.com/uploads/2026/11/oai-go-blog-opengraph-1200x630-8af4cd0a.png
translations:
  ku: https://kurddevelopers.com/news/openclaw-creator-peter-steinberger-joins-openai
  ar: https://kurddevelopers.com/ar/news/openclaw-creator-peter-steinberger-joins-openai
publisher: Kurd Developers
publisher_url: https://kurddevelopers.com/
---

# OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI

> The developer behind the viral AI agent OpenClaw has joined OpenAI. OpenClaw will remain an open source project.

![Image: OpenAI](https://kurddevelopers.com/uploads/2026/11/oai-go-blog-opengraph-1200x630-8af4cd0a.png)

## What happened?

Peter Steinberger, the developer who created OpenClaw, announced he has joined OpenAI. OpenClaw is a personal AI agent that carries out tasks on your computer, and it went viral in early 2026.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Steinberger will "drive the next generation of personal agents."

## What happens to OpenClaw?

OpenClaw will move into a foundation and remain an open source project that OpenAI will continue to support.

Steinberger wrote on his blog: "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."

## Three names

The project was first called Clawdbot, then Moltbot, then OpenClaw. The renaming came after Anthropic threatened legal action because the name was too similar to Claude.

**Sources:** TechCrunch, Peter Steinberger blog, Sam Altman on X

---

Published by [Kurd Developers](https://kurddevelopers.com/) on 2026-02-15. Cite as: “OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger joins OpenAI”, Kurd Developers, https://kurddevelopers.com/en/news/openclaw-creator-peter-steinberger-joins-openai