Anthropic–OpenAI Clash Escalates Over Claude Access Rules and Open Source Agent OpenClaude

Recent controversy has brought two AI giants, Anthropic and OpenAI, into the center of debate. Allegations have surfaced that Anthropic has banned Peter Steinberger, the creator of the popular open-source agent “OpenClaude,” which uses the “Claude” model, from using Anthropic’s “Claude” services. Steinberger is currently working at Anthropic’s rival organization OpenAI.

The incident occurred last week, when Anthropic announced that subscriptions to “Claude” would no longer be valid in third-party “harnesses” such as “OpenClaude.” OpenClaude users are now required to pay via a “pay-per-use” model through the Claude API.

Steinberger alleges that although he was using the API, his account was suspended due to what Anthropic described as “suspicious activity.”

The decision to introduce a separate “Claude tax” for OpenClaude users has been described by netizens as “the biggest shameless act in the industry.” Steinberger was so frustrated that he publicly questioned whether the decision coincidentally came after Anthropic launched a new feature in “Claude” called “Claude Dispatch,” which functions similarly to OpenClaude. He implied that Anthropic may first copy open-source features and then attempt to lock out competitors.

An Anthropic engineer claimed that no one has been banned for using OpenClaude. Within hours of this comment, Steinberger’s account was reinstated. However, he has already decided to step away.

He announced that in the future he will ensure that new versions of OpenClaude “do not break” with Anthropic’s models, but he will no longer use Claude for building OpenClaude. Instead, he will prioritize models from his own company OpenAI for testing and hinted that OpenClaude users will see continued development “where applicable.”

When Steinberger stated, “One side welcomed me, the other sent legal threats,” it became clear that OpenAI is strategically seeking to leverage his position.

Anthropic has, however, moved forward with its decision to restrict subscriptions for OpenClaude users. But the timing—just weeks after launching “Claude Dispatch”—has led to perceptions that the company is deliberately attempting to suppress open-source competition. For now, the “Claude war” is not over; rather, it appears to have just begun.

DBTech/BMT/OR