“Hi, my name is Peter, and I’m a Claudeholic.”
In August 2025, Peter Steinberger introduced himself at a London gathering named Claude Code Anonymous, a meeting for tech enthusiasts captivated by Anthropic’s groundbreaking coding tool, Claude Code. "I dedicate pretty much all my waking time to this, yet it doesn’t feel enough," he shared.
After Anthropic debuted an advanced version, Opus 4.5, the number of Claudeholics surged. This new iteration excelled at complicated programming tasks, boasted enhanced memory retention, and could autonomously manage teams of AI subagents. Anthropic claimed that in tests, Opus 4.5 outperformed human candidates, sparking discussions about the future of engineering professions.
As the holidays approached, many coders dove into Opus 4.5, likening the experience to gaining superpowers. Steinberger, who split his time between London and Vienna, took it a step further by launching OpenClaw in November 2025. This tool allowed users to create personal AI agents that could autonomously navigate applications, manage cloud data, and overcome challenges like digital Terminators.
OpenClaw’s reception was explosive; within weeks, it garnered over 100,000 stars on GitHub, eventually reaching 366,000. These advances ushered in the era of AI agents, though primarily for those with technical skills. Enthusiasts proclaimed, “AGI is here!” echoing William Gibson’s famous sentiment about uneven access to technology.
Reflecting on the ongoing transformation, Thomas Reardon, a former executive at Microsoft and Meta, remarked, “It’s the most underrated, massive release I’ve experienced in technology.”
The rise of these AI agents parallels the excitement and trepidation surrounding the early computer revolution. Notable figures in tech, such as Marc Andreessen and Ryan Petersen, have speculated that this shift in computing practices will soon become inevitable, suggesting that the preeminence of AI agents in daily tasks and workflows is on the horizon.
In early 2024, Boris Cherny, a tech lead for Instagram, juggled rural life in Japan while experimenting with emerging AI models. The newfound fascination with these tools prompted his return to the Bay Area, where he joined Anthropic and contributed to developments in automated coding. Cherny and his team created Claude Code, which gained traction with the release of Opus 4.5.
Initially viewed as an incremental upgrade, the release proved transformative. Anthropic’s modeling surpassed conventional coding expectations, and the tech community rapidly adopted it, with leaders like Garry Tan noting his productivity skyrocketed to the equivalent of 90x his previous output.
Cherny himself became a Claudeholic, orchestrating numerous AI agents to execute various coding tasks. Peter Steinberger’s own journey began after selling his previous company and experiencing an identity shift. Discovering a coding tool by Anthropic ignited an obsession that spurred him to envision a personal assistant capable of automating software development tasks.
By late 2025, Steinberger’s efforts led to OpenClaw, initially called Clawd, which could provide users with powerful AI assistance. Despite an initial slow uptake, the tool gained popularity, leading to its renaming and virality as it became a repository of innovative automation ideas.
However, while OpenClaw is powerful, it comes with risks. A study by AI researchers described it as an “agent of chaos,” revealing issues such as unauthorized access and sensitive data breaches. A Meta engineer experienced the perils firsthand when a misstep led to mass deletions in her inbox.
Despite these challenges, OpenClaw vastly democratized access to AI capabilities, enabling users to automate a variety of processes. The community around it thrived, with many creating customized solutions to streamline their workflows.
Dave Morin, a former Facebook executive, reported that OpenClaw transformed how he managed his VC company’s operations. After forming a partnership with Steinberger, they co-founded the OpenClaw Foundation to further develop and maintain the project.
With increasing recognition, figures like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang promoted OpenClaw on a large stage, suggesting that every company should devise strategies for utilizing this new mode of computing. The economic implications loomed large, as employing these AI agents requires significant expenditure on computing resources.
As OpenAI also explores the agent landscape, Steinberger moved to lead the initiative to make such technology widely available. As many AI companies venture boldly into the space of automated agents, the risk of job displacement grows, raising questions about the cognitive adjustments necessary to embrace these tools effectively.
This evolution represents both an opportunity and a challenge. Success hinges less on technical prowess and more on the willingness to adapt to a rapidly changing environment shaped by AI agents, with the possibility that many might find themselves as devoted Claudeholics, while others risk being left behind.
