Interest in artificial intelligence is growing rapidly across the world, but in China, the excitement has taken a particularly unusual form. Many technology enthusiasts there have started referring to the adoption of a new AI tool called “OpenClaw” as “raising a lobster.” The phrase has quickly spread online, symbolizing the growing popularity of this powerful AI agent.
The trend shows how strongly people in China are embracing new technology, even while debates about privacy and security continue.
OpenClaw Rush
Recently, nearly 1,000 people gathered outside the headquarters of Tencent in Shenzhen. They were not there for a product launch or a job interview. Instead, they had come to install OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent, on their personal computers.
The installation event was organised by Tencent’s cloud computing division. Engineers helped visitors install the software for free and guided them through the setup process. The crowd included students, developers, hobbyists, housewives, and even retired engineers.
At the same time, social media platforms in China were filled with advertisements from people offering to install OpenClaw for a fee, sometimes charging tens or even hundreds of yuan. This shows how high the demand has become.
What makes OpenClaw different
Unlike traditional chatbots that simply answer questions, OpenClaw is designed to perform tasks directly on a user’s computer. It can write reports, prepare presentations, manage emails, analyse data, and even assist with coding.
The software was created by Austrian programmer Peter Steinberger and quickly attracted global attention after its release last year. Later, it was acquired by OpenAI, which further increased interest in the technology.
Many users describe the experience as having a virtual assistant working alongside them. A designer from Shanghai who started using the system early said it felt like having additional staff members helping with everyday tasks.
What is the meaning behind raising a lobster?
The odd name is based on the way the tool’s name is translated from Chinese. People started to make a lot of jokes about how it was like raising a digital pet lobster that works for its owner in terms of installing/managing the ai agent.
The phrase became an internet trend and is now used by many when installing their AI system to call out that they’re “raising a lobster.”
Challenges and concerns
Even though there’s a lot of excitement about this technology, it’s still pretty hard for most people to use. So many people have difficulty installing OpenClaw and configuring it correctly that they are turning to paid installation services as an “easy fix” to their problems.
A couple of reasons for this are security and privacy issues. Some experts say that since OpenClaw needs access to the operating system to automatically perform tasks, there can be possible security issues related to how it is used.
However, some technology companies in China have been able to work on these problems. Many cloud companies, including Alibaba and ByteDance, have begun developing cloud-based solutions that run on secure platforms instead of on personal computers, allowing them to develop similar AI Agents without having to worry about the associated security concerns.
The buzz around AI agents is not just limited to individuals – there is also a lot of interest from many of China’s largest tech companies to explore how these technologies can be integrated into their own products/services offerings.
For example, smartphone brands like Xiaomi and Nubia have announced plans to integrate AI agent-like features into some of their devices.
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