Alibaba joins race to expand OpenClaw AI services
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has launched a new mobile application designed to help users install and deploy OpenClaw within minutes, intensifying competition among China’s major tech firms seeking to capitalize on the growing popularity of agentic AI assistants.
The app, called “JVS Claw,” allows iOS and Android users without coding skills to instruct AI agents to perform simple real-world tasks, Alibaba said in a statement, News.Az reports, citing Bloomberg.
The service is free for the first 14 days.
The launch comes shortly after Baidu Inc. introduced its own Android app for OpenClaw earlier this week. The platform enables users to carry out tasks such as online shopping and travel bookings.
China’s leading artificial intelligence companies — including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Minimax Group Inc. — are racing to provide OpenClaw-based services as part of a nationwide trend known as “raising lobsters,” a reference to the system’s lobster mascot. Students, retirees and other users across the country are increasingly experimenting with agentic AI tools.
The surge in interest has helped fuel a market rally over the past week, as investors bet on the emergence of services capable of pushing AI into the mainstream. Broader adoption is expected to generate revenue through the consumption of tokens required to run AI applications, while also driving further technological innovation.
Authorities’ response has been mixed. At least four local municipalities have introduced policies supporting the development and deployment of OpenClaw, offering subsidies worth millions of yuan.
However, Beijing has also moved to limit the use of OpenClaw AI applications on office computers belonging to state-run enterprises and government agencies, citing potential security risks.
Experts say agentic AI systems like OpenClaw require extensive access to user data and connected apps to function effectively, making them potential targets for cyberattacks or misuse.
News.Az
By Nijat Babayev
