OpenAI Hires OpenClaw Founder to Launch Independent AI Agents That Work Without Human Supervision
Summary
OpenAI hires OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger to develop independent AI agents that operate without human supervision, transforming the viral open-source assistant into a cultural phenomenon that executes tasks autonomously through messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, signaling a major shift toward the agent era beginning in 2026.
Key Points
- OpenAI strikes a deal with OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger, who joins the company to focus on bringing AI agents to a broad audience while keeping OpenClaw independent as a foundation
- OpenClaw transforms from a viral open-source AI assistant into a cultural phenomenon by allowing users to message through platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp to execute tasks autonomously without constant supervision
- The partnership signals a major shift toward personal AI agents that can act independently rather than just respond to prompts, with OpenAI betting this marks the beginning of the agent era in 2026