On a recent evening in Beijing, more than 100 technology enthusiasts packed into a rooftop bar to learn how to use OpenClaw, a new AI tool that has taken China by storm.
The open-source platform is used to create assistants that can do everything from browsing the web and sending messages to executing commands on a computer. Developed by a European engineer, OpenClaw has become so popular in China that “raising a lobster” — a nod to its crustacean logo and the time needed to install and train the AI agents — has become a buzzword.
“For the past two weeks I’ve stopped working, I’ve just been testing it,” said Li Fusheng, a 47-year-old entrepreneur who hoped OpenClaw would revolutionise his industrial software business.