OpenClaw’s creator, Peter Steinberger, faced a temporary ban from accessing Anthropic models after his account was suspended for ‘suspicious’ activity. The ban came soon after Anthropic announced that subscriptions to Claude would no longer cover third-party harnesses like OpenClaw, leading to what Steinberger calls a 'claw tax'. Despite the reinstatement of his account, tensions remain high as users debate the reasons behind these changes.

Steinberger's frustration is palpable. He claims the timing of Anthropic's actions and their recent updates to Claude’s Cowork agent suggest ulterior motives. Meanwhile, he continues to work for OpenAI, partly to ensure that his tool remains compatible with different AI models.

The episode raises questions about proprietary vs open-source tools in the AI space. Is this just a commercial move by Anthropic, or are there deeper concerns at play? Only time will tell if this is the beginning of a new era for AI collaboration—or conflict.

For now, Steinberger insists he’s only using Claude for testing purposes to avoid breaking OpenClaw for its users. Despite pressure from both sides, his stance remains firm: he wants to ensure compatibility across different platforms while working on future strategies with his employer.