Why the Buzz Around Open Claw?

On March 9, the A-share market saw significant volatility, with the Shanghai Composite Index closing slightly down by 0.67%. However, the computing power sector defied the broader trend, experiencing a surge in stocks hitting their upper limits. Trading volumes across the Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing exchanges soared to around 2.7 trillion yuan, marking a notable increase of 400 to 530.5 billion yuan from the previous day. At the center of this financial excitement is an open-source AI tool affectionately nicknamed "Raising Lobsters" by netizens. This tool isn't about actual lobster farming; rather, it's about deploying AI on personal computers to manage tasks and operate proactively. The name comes from its red lobster icon, and the process of setting it up and training it is endearingly referred to as "raising lobsters."

Viral Sensation: How Open-Source AI Captured the Public's Imagination

The "Raising Lobsters" phenomenon has spread rapidly from tech circles to the general public. At Tencent's headquarters in Shenzhen, people queued up with mini-servers and compact computers to install the software. On Douyin, the hashtag #RaisingLobstersForEveryone has racked up over 8 billion views, echoing the mobile system frenzy of a decade ago. The numbers speak volumes:

• User Base: As of March 9, 2026, the global user count surpassed 12 million.
• GitHub Popularity: The project has amassed over 280,000 stars on GitHub, surpassing Linux's 30-year total and cementing its status as an open-source sensation.
• Token Usage: On the AI platform Open Router, its token consumption reached 8.52T, making it the platform's top token-consuming application.

More significantly, "Raising Lobsters" has revolutionized the cost dynamics of AI usage. Traditional chat-based AI models incurred higher costs with increased usage, following a linear growth pattern. In contrast, Open Claw can autonomously break down tasks and iterate optimizations. Heavy users consume between 30 million and 100 million tokens daily, incurring costs of approximately $900 to $3,000—far exceeding the monthly fees of conventional conversational AI services.

Industry Chain Analysis: Investment Opportunities in Four Key Areas

Computing Power Hardware: The Direct Beneficiary

The 2026 government work report highlighted the importance of "pairing computing power with green electricity." By integrating clean energy from western China with computing centers, China has gained a cost advantage in computing power. The surge in demand driven by Open Claw has directly boosted sales of hardware such as GPUs and intelligent computing clusters.

Large Model Vendors: Capitalizing on Open-Source Ecosystems

Open Claw can interface with multiple mainstream AI models and has already formed partnerships with GPT-4, DeepSeek, and MiniMax. Xiaomi launched Xiaomimiclaw based on its MiMo large model, while Tencent's WorkBuddy is also compatible with Open Claw's functions.

Cloud Services: Lowering the Barrier to Entry

Alibaba introduced "One-Click Open Claw to Cloud," while Tencent Cloud optimized lightweight deployment solutions. Cloud providers offer elastic computing power, security protection, and other services, addressing the technical challenges and cost pressures faced by individual users "raising lobsters."

Vertical Applications: From Offices to Government Affairs

Open Claw is already being deployed in various scenarios, including automated office work, cross-software collaboration, and government affairs processing. Shenzhen's "Government Affairs Lobster" handles public inquiries, improving response times by 40%. Businesses use it for financial collections and customer service, boosting efficiency by over 30%.

Risk Warning: Three Hidden Concerns Amid the Hype

Security Risks: Monitoring by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology revealed that, under default settings, Open Claw has "ambiguous trust boundaries," potentially allowing malicious control and leading to information leaks or device manipulation.

Cost Risks: Heavy users may face daily costs of up to $3,000 (approximately 21,000 yuan). For ordinary users, actual monthly costs vary based on usage frequency, with some reports indicating costs between $20 and $50 (approximately 140 to 350 yuan). However, extremely active users may incur monthly costs reaching tens of thousands of yuan.

Compliance Risks: AI agents can operate autonomously, but who is responsible if something goes wrong? Despite warnings from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and regulatory bodies, no clear rules yet define the responsibilities of developers, platforms, and users.

Key Tracking Points: Monitoring the Evolution of AI Agents

Investors should focus on three key areas:

• Technological Updates: Enhancements to Open Claw's security features and progress in multi-model adaptation.
• Policy Developments: The introduction of graded management for AI agents and data security standards.
• Competitive Dynamics: Adjustments to Open AI's open-source strategy and differences in ecosystem layouts among domestic vendors.

As industry insiders have noted, the open-sourcing of AI agents has become a central focus of the industry, with impacts extending far beyond short-term capital speculation.

Source: China Investor Network