By Eduardo Baptista
BEIJING, March 18 (Reuters) – Chinese tech giant Baidu on Tuesday unveiled a suite of artificial intelligence products, tapping growing domestic interest in OpenClaw, an open-source framework for agents that can perform complex tasks with less human input than chatbots.
The company introduced what it called a family of “lobsters” — a popular nickname for AI agents built on OpenClaw — spanning desktop software, cloud services, mobile tools and smart-home devices.
The agents are designed to carry out multi-step tasks such as editing videos, creating presentations, conducting research or ordering coffee, operating across multiple apps and devices.
OpenClaw’s rapid global uptake has fostered a growing community of enthusiasts in China who describe themselves as “raising lobsters”, reflecting the idea that agents improve through feedback and training.
Chinese tech giants including Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu have embraced the trend, rolling out OpenClaw-based products as they look for new revenue streams.
Speaking at a company event, Baidu Executive Vice-President Shen Dou said the technology could reshape how software connects devices and services.
“It could become an operating-system-level capability for a new era, unlocking almost all hardware and breaking down the barriers between devices,” Shen said.
Baidu said its agent ecosystem includes the DuMate desktop assistant, the RedClaw mobile platform and a cloud service, DuClaw, which allows users to deploy agents without configuring hardware.
Its smart-device unit Xiaodu said its speakers will integrate OpenClaw capabilities, enabling voice commands to trigger complex tasks across household devices.
“This lobster is still not perfect,” Shen cautioned. “It makes mistakes, takes detours and sometimes even complicates simple things.”
Baidu’s push comes as it seeks to regain ground lost in China’s AI chatbot market. After gaining an early lead in 2023 with its answer to ChatGPT, rival chatbots such as Bytedance’s Doubao, Tencent’s Yuanbao, and Alibaba’s Qwen have surged in popularity.
Zac Cheah, co-founder of Singapore-based platform Pundi AI, said OpenClaw-style tools are spreading quickly in China.
“Chinese users are comfortable with super-app ecosystems, and products such as Doubao, Tencent Yuanbao, and Qwen have already familiarised the public with AI at scale,” he said.
(Reporting by Eduardo BaptistaEditing by Ros Russell)
