By Brent Li
Over the past week, OpenClaw has exploded into the hottest topic in China. Countless Chinese netizens, who typically only use basic AI services, are scouring the web to acquire their own “lobster” — a personal AI assistant, branded with a red lobster logo, that managing files, email, and calendars all by itself with prompts or even codes.
Originally, the buzz was confined to the tech sphere. Experts marveled at how OpenClaw was poised to change the world, sharing how they deployed the AI “agent” — a system capable of autonomously executing multi-step tasks rather than just answering questions — as a tireless personal assistant to handle tedious work. Driven by curiosity and a strong sense of FOMO (fear of missing out), I decided to try it myself. I found the installation, configuration processes painful. To make it genuinely useful, a user must invest significant time and purchase multiple API services — the digital bridges that allow different software systems to communicate and charge based on usage.
However, the narrative took an unexpected turn last week. A friend of mine, whose usual interests revolve around popular TV dramas, anxiously asked me for advice on “how to raise a lobster?” Meanwhile, a tidal wave of related content has flooded social media. The sentiment is clear: if you aren’t “raising a lobster,” you are destined to be left behind by the AI era.
The tech industry’s gold rush
As we reported last week, Moonshot AI launched Kimi Claw to let users experience OpenClaw directly through its web interface. In reality, various Chinese large language model (LLM) developers have long been leveraging the craze. Because the system requires continuous background processing — reading documents, writing code, and self-correcting — it consumes a massive amount of tokens. Since these units of text are the basis for AI billing, the boom is bringing a windfall of revenue to LLM providers.
Simultaneously, security concerns over installing OpenClaw directly on personal computers have driven many users to forgo advanced features and opt for cloud-based virtual servers instead. Consequently, major cloud providers have seized the opportunity, launching aggressive marketing campaigns to acquire new customers. Hardware manufacturers are also capitalizing on the trend. Makers of smart glasses and earbuds are integrating their devices to act as physical sensory inputs for the AI. Companies like Guangfan Technology, an AI earbud manufacturer we covered last week, have quickly aligned their products with the “lobster” ecosystem.
Breaking out of the professional bubble
On major social media platforms, OpenClaw tutorials are now trending. Surprisingly, on Xiaohongshu, an app traditionally dominated by fashion and lifestyle content, adverts offering paid installation services have proliferated. According to a report in The Paper, programmers are acting like old-school computer repairmen, charging anywhere from 300 yuan to 800 yuan (around $42 to $112) to visit your home, install the software, and show you how to use it.
This phenomenon is highly counterintuitive for a lifestyle platform. At this point, OpenClaw has transcended its status as a technical tool to become a “fashion statement,” which explains my friend’s anxiety.
Tencent, Xiaomi, and Alibaba join the feast
Tech behemoths are not sitting idly by. On March 6, Tencent hosted a free offline event in Shenzhen to help users install OpenClaw. It attracted a massive crowd, with some enthusiasts traveling from Hong Kong or Hangzhou. However, attendees soon realized the “free installation” required them to first purchase a Tencent Cloud server subscription to host the software. Despite the catch, Cailian Press reported that the number of OpenClaw users on Tencent’s cloud platform quickly surpassed 100,000.
Tencent also developed its own localized variant, QClaw, which connects the AI assistant directly to their personal WeChat accounts. Alibaba quickly followed suit with “CoPaw,” positioned as a user-friendly domestic alternative.
Not to be outdone, Xiaomi, the king of marketing, announced a closed beta of “MiClaw.” Despite the name, the product little to do with OpenClaw’s open-source desktop framework; rather it appears to be an attempt to embed a system-level AI assistant into its smartphones.
A bizarre nationwide carnival
This has been a somewhat grotesque nationwide feast. While creator Peter Steinberger works around the clock at OpenAI to update OpenClaw’s software, Chinese manufacturers and consumers have rallied around his project, creating a wave that bridges the gap between hardcore tech professionals and everyday consumers.
Perhaps 99.99% of people are installing OpenClaw merely for the experience, while only 0.01% have found ways to generate tangible value from it. The most magical part of this phenomenon is that almost everyone walks away a winner. Tech companies acquire users, cloud providers see revenues skyrocket, hardware manufacturers marketed new products, and millions of regular users feel a sense of achievement at having kept pace with the times. Given the speed at which new AI concepts and products are emerging, we are highly likely to encounter another carnival like this by the second half of this year. Buckle up!
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