حمّى OpenClaw تجتاح الصين.. وكيل ذكاء اصطناعي بوعود كبيرة وتجارب متباينة

OpenClaw witnessed a surge in popularity across China for automating business tasks, data analysis, and investment management, yet real-world experience revealed significant usability challenges, particularly for non-specialists.

OpenClaw is an open-source program functioning as an AI agent; this distinguishes it from traditional chatbots by executing tasks automatically rather than merely answering questions. It connects to large language models such as ChatGPT or Claude to interpret and execute commands. The program can perform diverse functions via computers or the internet, including information gathering, news summarization, email management, and app operation. Typically, it runs on a cloud server and requires technical configurations and connections to paid AI services.

It represents the new generation of AI systems that perform actual work on behalf of the user, explaining the growing interest in this category. The launch of OpenClaw drew global reactions, with Nvidia’s CEO describing it as “the most important software release in history.”

User reports indicate a mixed experience. George Zhang, an e-commerce worker in Xiamen, tested the software after seeing a video demonstrating its stock portfolio management capabilities. After renting a cloud server and subscribing to the Chinese Kimi model, the initial performance was impressive, providing rapid market analysis. However, performance soon degraded, offering generic summaries instead of detailed reports, and eventually stopped executing some requests entirely. Zhang ultimately abandoned using it for stock trading, limiting its use to gathering AI news for social media content.

This experience was not unique; training workshops appeared in various Chinese cities, attracting hundreds of participants, and photos circulated showing queues of users, including the elderly, attempting to install the software. The actual usage revealed that running the system requires technical knowledge, often necessitating software settings, cloud server rentals, and paid AI model subscriptions.

Analysts believe Chinese technology companies are the main beneficiaries of OpenClaw’s spread, as it relies on cloud-based large language models, meaning users continuously pay for AI resource consumption. Consequently, several companies rushed to develop their own versions, such as QClaw from Tencent, ArkClaw from ByteDance, and KimiClaw from Moonshot.

Operating OpenClaw typically involves renting a cloud server and subscribing to language models, with costs estimated to start around 30 dollars, potentially rising with usage. New services have emerged where independent developers install the program for others for a fee, while some Chinese local governments have offered financial support to companies developing applications based on it.

The spread of OpenClaw demonstrates that users are willing to pay for advanced AI tools, but the experience also shows that these systems remain complex for the average user, and realizing their full potential requires a certain level of technical expertise.