OpenClaw Sparks Craze in China, Retirees Rush to Raise "Lobster" AI Agent

The open-source AI agent tool OpenClaw has sparked widespread enthusiasm in China, with various localized versions collectively called “Lobster” by users. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang publicly referred to it as “the next ChatGPT,” leading to a recent surge of up to 22% in Chinese tech stocks. Users across all levels—from 60-year-old retired electronics workers and white-collar workers seeking side businesses, to engineers at tech companies like Baidu and Zhipu—are training their own OpenClaw agents for different purposes.

Key Differences Between OpenClaw and Chatbots: Active AI Agents

OpenClaw is not a traditional conversational chatbot. Its core capability lies in connecting multiple hardware and software tools, continuously learning from generated data, and autonomously completing multi-step tasks under preset goals, requiring far less human intervention than tools like GPT or DeepSeek.

Counterpoint Research Chief AI Analyst Wei Sun noted, “If DeepSeek marks a milestone for open-source large language models, then OpenClaw represents a similar turning point for open-source AI agents.” At a Baidu event, staff demonstrated using an OpenClaw agent to place an order via voice command in the McDonald’s app, despite the process taking nearly two minutes. Huang Rongsheng, chief architect of Baidu’s Xiaodu, was asked directly by his daughter, “Dad, can I raise one too?”

Who is Raising Lobsters? A Diverse Map of Chinese User Applications

Main Application Scenarios of OpenClaw in China

Industry Knowledge Management: Beijing retiree electronics worker Fan Xinquan (60) trains an AI agent to organize his years of professional knowledge more effectively than general chatbots.

Exploring Side Income: Some users attempt to use OpenClaw to assist with stock picking, lottery purchases, or creating money-making apps; others open e-commerce stores using it.

Solo Entrepreneur Subsidies: Local governments offer up to 20 million RMB (about 2.8 million USD) annually in AI startup subsidies to qualifying businesses, attracting many individual entrepreneurs.

Corporate Productivity Enhancement: Tech companies actively develop commercial products based on OpenClaw, boosting the performance of Chinese-listed tech stocks.

Omdia Chief Analyst Lian Jye Su pointed out that this wave of enthusiasm aligns closely with China’s national policy promoting “AI +,” aiming to integrate AI comprehensively across various industries.

Behind the Surge: Dual Concerns of Rising Costs and Tightening Government Regulations

However, the craze faces two major obstacles. Zhipu announced a 20% increase in the token price for its AI models optimized with OpenClaw this week, raising costs and causing ordinary users to hesitate. A post titled “Goodbye OpenClaw” appeared on social media platform Rednote, criticizing that “ordinary people consume大量 tokens only to end up with a pile of useless data,” and warning that “this is not embracing the future but being harvested by it.”

Security concerns further add to policy uncertainty. Government agencies, securities firms, and universities have banned employees from installing OpenClaw after receiving security warnings. The People’s Daily published commentary calling for “firmly safeguarding the bottom line of security,” while Tech Buzz China founder Ma Rui directly pointed out the core contradiction: “Beijing wants Chinese companies to commercialize AI quickly, but also hopes deployment remains clear, safe, and politically controllable.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fundamental difference between OpenClaw and ChatGPT or DeepSeek?
ChatGPT and DeepSeek are conversational chatbots where users ask questions and AI responds. OpenClaw is an AI agent capable of actively connecting multiple applications and hardware, autonomously learning from data, and completing multi-step tasks—more akin to an independent “digital employee” than a Q&A tool.

Why is OpenClaw called “Lobster” in China?
Chinese users have given various localized versions of OpenClaw nicknames based on the brand’s logo design, commonly using “Lobster.” “Raising Lobster” has thus become a popular term for training personal AI agents, widely circulated on social media and tech communities.

Is the Chinese government supportive or restrictive toward OpenClaw?
The stance is clearly contradictory. Local governments actively provide subsidies to encourage AI startups, but central regulatory agencies are tightening controls due to security vulnerabilities. Several government bodies and universities have banned installation. The People’s Daily explicitly calls for ensuring that innovation does not deviate from political control, and ongoing policy tensions exist between central and local authorities.