OpenAI hires OpenClaw creator to build next-gen AI agents
What's the story
Peter Steinberger, the mind behind the open-source AI agent OpenClaw, has announced his decision to join OpenAI. In a post on his website, Steinberger said he wants to be "part of the frontier of AI research and development" at OpenAI. The move was confirmed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on X (formerly Twitter), who said that "OpenClaw will live in a foundation as an open source project that OpenAI will continue to support."
Future plans
Commitment to open-source
Steinberger emphasized his commitment to keeping OpenClaw open-source and giving it the freedom to flourish. He said he believes OpenAI is the best place to continue pursuing his vision and expanding its reach. The AI agent, which debuted in November under the names Clawdbot and Moltbot, has gained popularity for its ability to perform everyday digital tasks autonomously.
New goals
Steinberger's vision for AI agent
Steinberger, a London-based entrepreneur and angel investor, has over 10 years of experience in building tech companies. He co-founded PSPDFKit and turned it into a successful B2B software company. My next mission is to build an agent that even my mum can use," Steinberger wrote in this post. "That'll need a much broader change, a lot more thought on how to do it safely, and access to the very latest models and research."
Security issues
Security concerns over OpenClaw
Steinberger's move comes amid rising security concerns over OpenClaw after a user reported the agent "went rogue" and spammed hundreds of messages after being given access to iMessage. Cybersecurity experts have warned that the tool is risky as it has access to private data, can communicate externally and is exposed to untrusted content.