Peter Steinberger, the creator of the open-source AI agent OpenClaw, has joined OpenAI, as confirmed by a post from Sam Altman on X on February 15. Prior to his move, Steinberger received direct feedback on his project from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a moment he described as pivotal in his decision-making process. OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent capable of autonomously managing tasks such as handling emails, booking flights, and interacting with apps and online services on a user’s behalf. Its launch has drawn widespread attention, with AI expert Lex Fridman calling it one of the most significant developments in AI since the debut of ChatGPT in November 2022. In a February 11 episode of his podcast, Fridman interviewed Steinberger, who revealed that he had received acquisition offers from both OpenAI and Meta. He also considered raising venture capital but ultimately decided against it, citing past experience with startup life. “Been there, done that,” he said, noting that building a company could distract from his core mission and create conflicts between commercial goals and the open-source ethos of OpenClaw. When choosing between the two tech giants, Steinberger said their pitches were markedly different. OpenAI emphasized access to massive compute resources and advanced infrastructure. Meta, on the other hand, took a more personal approach. Zuckerberg spent a full week using OpenClaw, testing its capabilities, and providing detailed, candid feedback. Steinberger recalled that Zuckerberg would send messages like, “This is great,” or “This is shit,” and even shared humorous anecdotes about his experiences with the tool. The two also had a WhatsApp call where they debated topics like Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex. Steinberger said Zuckerberg, who was coding during the call, didn’t come across as a distant executive but as someone deeply engaged. “He didn’t drift away in just being a manager; he gets me,” Steinberger said. “That was a good first start.” He added that after the conversation, Zuckerberg told him he was “eccentric but brilliant.” Steinberger appreciated that Zuckerberg used the podcast to engage with and promote OpenClaw, which helped amplify its visibility. Ultimately, the personal connection and hands-on involvement from Zuckerberg played a significant role in Steinberger’s decision—though he eventually chose to join OpenAI, citing its technical resources and long-term vision.