Last updated: February 17, 2026 by the editorial team
Author's): Mandar Karhade, MD. Doctorate
Originally published in Towards Artificial Intelligence.
When an architect of the open source agent revolution joins a closed source giant, we must ask ourselves whether innovation is being encouraged or stymied
This is a quick and short article I guess. But the news got out. Peter Steinberger, creator of the viral AI agent OpenClaw, has officially joined OpenAI.
The article discusses the implications of Peter Steinberger joining OpenAI and the potential transition of OpenClaw from an independent open source project to a corporate-controlled entity. This raises concerns about the compatibility of OpenAI's business model with OpenClaw's initial ethos, raising questions about whether the project will maintain its open source purity or become a vehicle for corporate profits. The author highlights the risks of centralizing AI development and the need for community adaptation, while calling on developers to remain active in open source initiatives despite corporate interference.
Read the entire blog for free on Medium.
Published via Towards AI
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