The creator of artificial intelligence agent OpenClaw will join OpenAI, with OpenClaw’s services being folded into an OpenAI-supported foundation.
OpenClaw, previously known as Clawdbot and Moltbot, is a free open-source agent that can perform tasks by linking to other AI models from companies like OpenAI. Its founder, Peter Steinberger, will continue to develop agents at OpenAI.
“Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI to drive the next generation of personal agents,” wrote OpenAI founder Sam Altman. “We expect this will quickly become core to our product offerings.”
“OpenClaw will live in a foundation as an open source project that OpenAI will continue to support.”
Altman did not disclose the terms of the deal.
According to Steinberger, Meta also bid to buy OpenClaw. The project loses around US$10,000-20,000 each month, he said.
Its agents are accessed within messaging apps, and can be directed to alter the user’s apps or files after connecting to an external AI model. China-based search engine Baidu began offering access to OpenClaw through its smartphone app on Friday and will roll out OpenClaw agents within its e-commerce business.
Security experts have said that OpenClaw’s agents can be exposed to the wider internet, allowing attackers to access private messages and account credentials.
Its agents’ behaviour may also be exploited by attackers. OpenClaw is highly vulnerable to prompt injection attacks, in which users’ prompts manipulate AI models into bypassing safeguards, according to a ZeroLeaks report.
“If employees deploy OpenClaw on corporate machines and/or connect it to enterprise systems and leave it misconfigured and unsecured, it could be commandeered as a powerful AI backdoor agent capable of taking orders from adversaries,” wrote CrowdStrike CTO Elia Zaitsev.
OpenClaw said this month it would partner with threat intelligence platform VirusTotal to scan new abilities users provide for its agents.
