OpenAI recruits OpenClaw founder! Fully betting on the "next-generation personal AI agent"

Leading AI company OpenAI officially launches its next phase of product development. CEO Sam Altman announced that OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger has joined the team to lead the development of the "next-generation personal AI agent."
Earlier today (16th), Sam Altman stated that OpenAI's future product blueprint centers around a "multi-agent system," enabling multiple highly intelligent AI agents to collaborate with each other to accomplish truly valuable tasks for users.
Altman also mentioned that OpenClaw will continue to exist as an open-source project supported by a foundation operated by OpenAI.
In a blog post, Peter Steinberger wrote, "What I want to do is change the world, not build a big company. Partnering with OpenAI is the fastest way to make this technology accessible to everyone."
A few days before the announcement, Steinberger revealed that he had received acquisition offers from both Meta and OpenAI. However, he insisted that he would only agree if OpenClaw could remain open-source and independently governed, similar to Google’s Chrome and Chromium models.
OpenClaw has quickly gained attention because it focuses on "resident AI agents" that can connect directly to communication platforms and external services, allowing users to run executable AI robots locally to perform tasks, rather than relying solely on centralized chat applications like ChatGPT or Claude.
Although OpenClaw has been online for only a few months, it has already attracted significant interest from industry giants. Last month, AI company Anthropic issued a trademark infringement notice to Peter Steinberger, claiming that "Clawd" is too similar to their product name "Claude," and explicitly stated that there is no formal partnership or endorsement between the two, even if API access is available.
In response, Dermot McGrath, co-founder of ZenGen Labs, commented, "This is a good move for OpenAI, but I think Anthropic should have taken the lead."
He also warned that the real test will be how much resources and attention OpenClaw can garner in the future. He said:

Whether open-source or not, the sustainability of such projects often depends on the passion of a few full-time contributors, and Peter Steinberger is the soul of OpenClaw. When the main developer shifts focus to building proprietary products for OpenAI, whether this open-source project can continue to be valued remains a big question.

Although there are reservations about OpenClaw’s future development, considering Steinberger’s goal to create "an AI agent even mom can use," McGrath expects that OpenAI will soon unveil impressive products.