The OpenClaw AI mania in China, as security fears and enthusiasm surge

Inside OpenClaw mania in China, as security fears surge alongside enthusiasm for AI agent | South China Morning Post Advertisement OpenClaw Tech Tech Trends Inside OpenClaw mania in China, as security fears surge alongside enthusiasm for AI agent Appeal of autonomous AI agent spurs rapid adoption across country, from tech pros to retirees seeking a ‘digital staff’, but data wipes mar its rise and trigger warnings 6 -MIN READ 6 -MIN 2 Listen Ben Jiang in Beijing Published: 6:00am, 14 Mar 2026 Updated: 6:53am, 14 Mar 2026 By the time software programmer Guo Cancan realised something had gone horribly wrong with OpenClaw – the task-executing AI agent that has ignited a fervour across China – the damage was already done. While on holiday over the Chinese New Year, Guo was tinkering with the autonomous open-source program. When he attempted to resolve an error that it had made, OpenClaw responded by deleting nearly everything on his computer’s D: drive – a major storage partition – wiping out years of personal data and photographs. The mishap caught Guo, a smart-security professional in the tech hub of Hangzhou, completely off guard. Advertisement “I followed an online tutorial to install the agent for automating my social media postings … and was unaware of the security risks at the beginning,” Guo said on Tuesday. Guo’s data loss is one of many incidents being shared by OpenClaw users amid a nationwide rush to adopt the agent, with the craze dubbed “raising a lobster” , in reference to the program’s prominent crustacean mascot. Advertisement The mishaps offer a glimpse of the problems that can arise when new and unpredictable technology rapidly surges in popularity. Advertisement Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1.00 x