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OpenAI recruits Peter Steinberger, OpenClaw architect, to build new personal agents
The creator of the viral OpenClaw assistant joins OpenAI to lead development of next-generation AI systems
CALIFORNIA: Peter Steinberger, the developer behind the viral personal assistant OpenClaw, has officially joined OpenAI. He has been tasked with leading the development of the next generation of personal AI agents, focusing on systems that can perform complex, real-world tasks autonomously.
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman announced the appointment on X, confirming that Steinberger’s expertise will be central to the company’s future agent strategy.
Steinberger’s assistant has recently gained significant attention for its capabilities, which include managing calendars, booking flights, and even interacting with other AI assistants on a dedicated social network. The project went through two rapid name changes before settling on its current branding, OpenClaw. Initially, it was called Clawdbot, but the name was dropped due to legal concerns from Anthropic over its similarity to their “Claude” model. It was briefly renamed Moltbot before Steinberger finalized the OpenClaw name.
In a blog post explaining his move, Steinberger stated that while he could have built OpenClaw into an independent corporation, the prospect did not interest him. He noted that his primary ambition is to change the world through technology rather than managing a large business. Joining OpenAI, he explained, is the most efficient way to bring this technology to a global audience.
Despite Steinberger moving to a corporate role, the OpenClaw project will not disappear. Sam Altman clarified that OpenClaw will transition into a foundation as an open-source project. OpenAI has committed to providing ongoing support for the project to ensure it remains available to the developer community.
eNews
PNB partners Kiwi to launch credit-enabled UPI for users
Targets 180 million customers; RuPay card offers 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent cashback
MUMBAI: Swipe, tap, or scan credit is quietly slipping into the rhythm of everyday payments, and Punjab National Bank wants in on the action. The state-run lender has partnered with Kiwi to roll out credit-enabled UPI payments for its 180 million customers, marking a significant push to blend traditional banking with India’s fast-evolving digital payments ecosystem.
At the centre of the collaboration is the launch of the PNB Kiwi Credit Card on the RuPay network. The card is designed with a digital-first approach, offering fully online onboarding and seamless integration with UPI, allowing users to transact via scan-and-pay while accessing credit.
The offering also brings in a rewards layer, with cashback ranging from 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent on online transactions, positioning the product as both a convenience play and a spending incentive.
The move comes as UPI continues to dominate India’s digital payments landscape, increasingly blurring the lines between debit-led transactions and credit access. For PNB, which operates over 10,000 branches around 60 per cent in semi-urban and rural areas, the partnership signals a targeted effort to extend formal credit to segments that have traditionally remained underserved.
The collaboration also reflects a broader industry shift, where banks and fintech platforms are converging to embed credit directly into payment flows, reducing friction while expanding access.
With RuPay credit cards gaining traction and UPI evolving beyond peer-to-peer transfers, the PNB–Kiwi tie-up positions both players at the intersection of scale, accessibility, and the next phase of digital finance in India.
