AI ‘Claw’ Controls Lights, Pool for Former OpenAI and Tesla AI Leader Andrej Karpathy

Andrej Karpathy, a prominent figure in the artificial intelligence field and founder of Eureka Labs, is utilizing an AI system he calls “Dobby” to automate tasks around his home. This system manages everything from lighting and HVAC to pool controls and security, showcasing a growing trend of AI agents capable of directly interacting with the physical world.

What is Dobby the ‘Elf Claw’?

Karpathy, who previously held roles as a founding member of OpenAI and Director of AI at Tesla, described Dobby as a “claw” that handles household chores in a recent interview on the “No Priors” podcast. The system controls lights, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), shades, a pool, a spa, and the home security system. This represents a shift from traditional large language models (LLMs) that primarily generate text-based responses to AI agents that can take concrete actions in the real world.

The Rise of AI ‘Claws’ and Agentic AI

AI claws are a new wave of autonomous AI agents that can operate apps and internet-connected devices directly, automating tasks like research, scheduling, and home automation. Open-source frameworks like OpenClaw have contributed to the increasing popularity of this approach. In February 2026, OpenAI acquired OpenClaw and its creator, Peter Steinberger, signaling the growing interest in this technology from Silicon Valley giants.

Karpathy’s Everyday Use Cases

Karpathy is already leveraging Dobby for daily tasks, such as tracking deliveries. The system sends him text messages with images of approaching deliveries, informing him of new mail. He noted that Dobby has replaced the need for six separate apps on his phone, consolidating control into a single AI-powered interface.

Hardware Upgrade with Nvidia DGX Station

Karpathy’s AI infrastructure recently received a significant boost with a gift from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: a DGX Station GB300, powered by a GB300 superchip designed for agentic AI workloads. Karpathy expressed his excitement about the new hardware, stating it would serve as a “beautiful, spacious home” for Dobby and other projects. The DGX Station GB300 delivers up to 20 petaflops of performance and 748GB of coherent memory, capable of supporting AI models with up to 1 trillion parameters.

Security and Privacy Considerations

Karpathy addressed security concerns, explaining that Dobby connects to devices on his home’s local network, preventing direct internet access to those systems. He also highlighted the convenience of the system, stating he can simply ask Dobby to “turn off the lights” to automate the process.

Andrej Karpathy’s Background

Andrej Karpathy (born October 23, 1986) is a Slovak-Canadian AI researcher. He co-founded OpenAI and previously served as the Director of AI and Autopilot Vision at Tesla. He is now focused on AI education through Eureka Labs, with their first course being LLM101n: Let’s Build A Storyteller.