In Beijing and Shenzhen, queues form not for the latest smartphone, but for help installing an AI. OpenClaw, the crustacean-themed digital assistant once known as Clawdbot, has become a national phenomenon. At events hosted by tech giants like Baidu and Tencent, hundreds from students to retirees wait to get the tool on their devices. The local joke, "raise a lobster," captures a genuine fervor.

"Everyone around me has it. I don't want to be left behind," said new user Gong Sheng, echoing a common sentiment. The appeal is practical: OpenClaw can autonomously manage web searches, bookings, and business tasks. Wang Xiaoyan uses it to run her "one-person company" (OPC), noting, "Human employees need rest, but OpenClaw can run 24/7."

This mass adoption aligns with a state blueprint to diffuse AI across society by 2030. "China is turning an open-source tool into national productivity infrastructure at a speed no other country is matching," observed Tom van Dillen of Greenkern consultancy. Local governments offer subsidies for OpenClaw-based apps, and major firms are motivated to refine it for public use.

Yet, rapid growth brings scrutiny. As security warnings increase, authorities have instructed banks and sensitive sectors to curb its use. Some users, like Gong Zheng, express unease: "It's hard for us regular people to know what access we have given it and what it has taken." The nation is racing to harness a tool whose full implications are still coming into view.

Source: CNBC