OpenAI has hired Peter Steinberger, the founder of OpenClaw, as the $500bn start-up seeks to expand the ability of its artificial intelligence systems to conduct work autonomously.
OpenClaw is a popular open source project that lets users create personal AI agents. Formerly known as Clawdbot and Moltbot, it became a viral sensation over the past month by allowing users to run the software locally on their own hardware, such as a computer or laptop.
Users quickly began connecting the agents to apps such as WhatsApp, Slack and iMessage and instructing them to manage emails and calendars, taking actions across a person’s digital life on their behalf.