OpenAI Hires OpenClaw Founder Peter Steinberger to Lead Multi-Agent Development; CEO Sam Altman Announces
OpenAI has hired Peter Steinberger, creator of the AI agent OpenClaw, to spearhead its multi-agent product strategy. CEO Sam Altman confirmed that OpenClaw will become an open-source foundation supported by OpenAI. The move aims to integrate collaborative AI agents into core services, allowing multiple systems to interact and perform complex tasks.
San Francisco, February 16: OpenAI has announced the high-profile recruitment of Peter Steinberger, the founder of the popular AI agent project OpenClaw. The move, confirmed by OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman on X, formerly Twitter, signals a strategic shift towards autonomous systems that can interact with one another to perform complex tasks.
Altman described Steinberger as a genius who will drive the next generation of personal agents at the company. The acquisition of talent comes at a critical time for the San Francisco-based AI firm, which has recently seen several senior figures depart for competitors such as Meta or to launch independent rival ventures. UK Social Media Crackdown: PM Keir Starmer Tightens Online Safety Act To Include AI Chatbots, Aims To Protect Children.
Sam Altman Announces Peter Steinberger Joining OpenAI
Strategic Focus on Multi-Agent Systems
The integration of Steinberger’s expertise is expected to accelerate OpenAI’s development of "multi-agent" environments. Altman noted that the ability for different AI agents to work together will quickly become core to the company’s product offerings, suggesting that future versions of ChatGPT or enterprise tools may deploy multiple specialised bots to solve problems.
OpenClaw, which previously operated under the names Moltbot and Clawdbot, gained significant traction in the technology sector earlier this year. Despite its popularity, the project faced challenges, including a security incident this month where researchers discovered over 400 malicious skills uploaded to its repository, ClawHub.
Transition to Open Source Foundation
As part of the agreement, OpenClaw will transition into a dedicated foundation. OpenAI has committed to supporting the project as an open-source initiative, ensuring that the developer community maintains access to the technology while Steinberger focuses on internal development at OpenAI.
Steinberger, who previously spent 13 years building his own company, stated on his personal website that the move allows him to focus on technical innovation rather than corporate administration. He expressed that joining OpenAI is the fastest way to bring advanced AI agents to a global audience.
Future of Autonomous Personal Agents
While the financial terms of the deal and Steinberger’s exact title have not been disclosed, his arrival is viewed as a significant win for OpenAI following a public legal feud with Elon Musk. The focus now shifts to how OpenClaw’s capabilities, including its experimental social network for agents, MoltBook, will influence OpenAI’s future roadmap. US Military Used Anthropic’s Claude AI in Classified Venezuela Operation to Capture Nicolas Maduro: Report.
The company aims to create a seamless ecosystem where smart agents perform useful services for individuals by communicating with each other. This "multi-agent" future is seen by industry analysts as the next major frontier in artificial intelligence, moving beyond simple chatbots to proactive digital assistants.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 16, 2026 07:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).