(Yicai) March 10 -- Major Chinese internet platforms and cloud services providers, including Zhipu AI and TikTok owner ByteDance, are quickly rolling out their own versions of the popular open-source artificial intelligence agent OpenClaw, sending some of their shares soaring.

Zhipu, also known as Knowledge Atlas Technology Joint Stock Company, launched AutoClaw today, billing it as the first "one-click install" local version of OpenClaw in China. It has more than 50 pre-installed skills and Zhipu recommends integration with the Beijing-based firm’s GLM, as well as DeepSeek, Moonshot AI's Kimi, and other AI models.

Zhipu’s shares [HKG: 2513] closed almost 13 percent higher at HKD649 (USD82.94) apiece in Hong Kong today, taking its gains to more than 300 percent since listing on Jan. 8.

Volcano Engine, privately held ByteDance’s cloud computing and AI services platform, launched ArkClaw yesterday, a cloud-based software as a service version, which can be used directly through a web browser and is deeply integrated with Lark plugins. Baidu AI Cloud has released a visual four-step deployment process and has made AI search and deep research agent Qianfan available for use as skills.

For its part, Xiaomi has launched MiClaw, a mobile system-layer agent that operates at the operating system level on its devices. Alibaba Cloud has also entered the race with a one-click deployment option alongside Agent Bay, its dedicated platform for AI agent services.

Alibaba [HKG: 9988] rose 3.7 percent to HKD133.50, while its US-listed stock [NYSE: BABA] was up 3.4 percent in pre-market trading in New York as of 5.48 a.m. local time.

Tencent Holdings' WorkBuddy went live yesterday, allowing remote configuration via WeCom in as little as one minute, while also integrating with QQ, Lark, and DingTalk. In addition, the Shenzhen-based company is testing a one-click AI agent tool QClaw, which can connect directly to WeChat and QQ, with the market seeing it as highly attractive to regular users.

Tencent's shares [HKG: 0700] added 7.3 percent to HKD553.50.

JD.Com, Huawei Technologies, Meituan, NetEase's Youdao, Moonshot AI, MiniMax, and 360 Security Technology are the other Chinese tech firms to have so far launched OpenClaw versions.

Security Concerns

Created by Austrian programmer Peter Steinberger, OpenClaw is a free, open-source AI agent framework that can automate a wide range of tasks for users. The software has garnered enthusiasm in and beyond the tech community since its release last year, with Nvidia’s Jensen Huang last week describing it as the “most important software release probably ever.”

But the open-source nature of tools like OpenClaw creates a gray area in security responsibility, China Central Television reported, citing Gao Wen, a deputy to the National People's Congress and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Users need to guard against potential cybersecurity risks, while internet platforms providing services similar to OpenClaw must strengthen their responsibilities and fulfill security risk assessment obligations, Gao noted.

AutoClaw’s installation plan has been pre-processed to avoid issues such as public network exposure and port exposure, Liu Xiao, head of Zhipu's AutoGLM department, told Yicai. It also includes regulations for the working directory and provides reminders and restrictions for important operations, Liu added.

Because OpenClaw is an open-source framework with a highly flexible ecosystem of third-party skills and plugins, its deployment and use are not user-friendly for non-technical individuals, so users need to improve their own skills and understanding, Liu stressed.

AI features are rapidly shifting from a “novelty experiences” to “high-frequency, must-have tools," quickly penetrating high-traffic scenarios such as search, social media, e-commerce, and office applications, according to analysts.

Leading internet platforms, which have advantages in traffic entry, data accumulation, technology, and computing power, are still the most likely incubators for outstanding AI applications, according to the quantitative investment department of China Asset Management.

Editor: Martin Kadiev