TechCrunch · Feb 15, 2026 · Collected from RSS
OpenAI said OpenClaw will live on as an open source project.
In Brief Posted: 2:28 PM PST · February 15, 2026 Image Credits:Getty Images Peter Steinberger, who created the AI personal assistant now known as OpenClaw, has joined OpenAI. Previously known as Clawdbot, then Moltbot, OpenClaw achieved viral popularity over the past few weeks with its promise to be the “AI that actually does things,” whether that’s managing your calendar, booking flights, or even joining a social network full of other AI assistants. (The name changed the first time after Anthropic threatened legal action over its similarity to Claude, then changed again because Steinberger liked the new name better.) In a blog post announcing his decision to join OpenAI, the Austrian developer said that while he might have been able to turn OpenClaw into a huge company, “It’s not really exciting for me.” “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,” Steinberger said. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on X that in his new role, Steinberger will “drive the next generation of personal agents.” As for OpenClaw, Altman said it will “live in a foundation as an open source project that OpenAI will continue to support” Topics Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news Latest in AI