#491 – OpenClaw: The Viral AI Agent that Broke the Internet – Peter Steinberger
February 12, 2026
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Show notes
Peter Steinberger is the creator of OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent framework that’s the fastest-growing project in GitHub history.
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Transcript:
https://lexfridman.com/peter-steinberger-transcript
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EPISODE LINKS:
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Peter’s GitHub: https://github.com/steipete
Peter’s Website: https://steipete.com
Peter’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steipete
OpenClaw Website: https://openclaw.ai
OpenClaw GitHub: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
OpenClaw Discord: https://discord.gg/openclaw
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OUTLINE:
() – Introduction
() – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
() – OpenClaw origin story
() – Mind-blowing moment
() – Why OpenClaw went viral
() – Self-modifying AI agent
() – Name-change drama
() – Moltbook saga
() – OpenClaw security concerns
() – How to code with AI agents
() – Programming setup
() – GPT Codex 5.3 vs Claude Opus 4.6
() – Best AI agent for programming
() – Life story and career advice
() – Money and happiness
() – Acquisition offers from OpenAI and Meta
() – How OpenClaw works
() – AI slop
() – AI agents will replace 80% of apps
() – Will AI replace programmers?
() – Future of OpenClaw community