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國際時事跟讀 Ep. L182: China's OpenClaw "Lobster" Frenzy: Hype Meets Alarm

Highlights 主題摘要

• OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent nicknamed the "lobster," has gone viral in China, captivating users from retirees to schoolchildren.
• Unlike passive chatbots, OpenClaw autonomously executes tasks, driving a 22% surge in Chinese tech shares and a rush of localised products.
• Authorities are banning the software over security risks, while malware attacks and rising token costs are already dampening the hype.

At a recent seminar hosted by AI startup Zhipu, retirees, office workers, and curious parents gathered to learn how to train their own "lobster" — the affectionate nickname Chinese users have given to AI agents built on OpenClaw, an open-source platform whose red crustacean logo has swept Chinese tech circles. Far from being the preserve of early adopters, the technology has captivated an improbably broad audience, from primary school children pestering their parents for a digital pet to retirees hoping to monetise their industry knowledge. "OpenClaw can actually help you accomplish many practical things," one attendee said.

在AI新創公司智譜近期舉辦的研討會上，退休人士、上班族與好奇的家長紛紛湧入，學習如何訓練自己的「龍蝦」。這是中國用戶給OpenClaw AI代理取的暱稱，這款開源平台以紅色龍蝦為標誌，如今已在中國科技圈掀起熱潮。這項技術早已不再是科技達人的專利，從纏著父母討龍蝦養的小學生，到希望將專業知識變現的退休族，吸引的族群出乎意料地廣泛。「OpenClaw確實能幫你完成很多實際的事，」一名與會者說。

Released in November by Austrian developer Peter Steinberger, OpenClaw has since become one of the fastest-growing projects in GitHub's history. Unlike conventional chatbots, which respond passively to queries, OpenClaw operates more like a human assistant: it can browse the web, manage files, send emails, and execute complex multi-step tasks with minimal intervention. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has called it "the next ChatGPT," a comparison that sent Chinese technology shares surging by as much as 22% as Baidu, Tencent, and other giants rushed to release localised versions.

OpenClaw由奧地利開發者彼得‧斯坦伯格於去年11月推出，迅速躋身GitHub史上成長最快的專案之列。與被動回覆問題的傳統聊天機器人不同，OpenClaw更像一位真正的人類助理，能瀏覽網頁、管理檔案、發送電子郵件，並在幾乎不需人工介入的情況下完成複雜的多步驟任務。輝達執行長黃仁勳將其稱為「下一個ChatGPT」，此言一出，中國科技股應聲大漲，漲幅最高達22%，百度、騰訊等業者也紛紛跟進，推出各自的本地化版本。

The frenzy has spilled well beyond tech circles. Local governments are offering subsidies of up to 20 million yuan — roughly $2.8 million — annually to qualifying one-person companies that deploy AI agents. At Baidu's "Lobster Market" events, engineers offer free cloud-based installation; Tencent drew queues of nearly a thousand people at a Shenzhen venue. Yet the enthusiasm has unsettled Chinese authorities: state-owned People's Daily urged officials to maintain the "safety bottom line," while government agencies, brokerages, and universities have banned staff from installing the software.

這股風潮早已遠遠超出科技圈的範疇。地方政府開始向符合資格的「一人公司」提供補貼，每年最高可達2,000萬人民幣（約新台幣1.28億元）。百度舉辦「龍蝦市集」，由工程師現場協助用戶免費安裝雲端版本；騰訊在深圳的活動則吸引近千人排隊等候。然而，這股熱潮也引起中國當局高度警戒，黨媒《人民日報》呼籲官員「守住安全底線」，各地政府機關、券商與高校也陸續禁止員工安裝OpenClaw。

Security risks have proved real. Malicious GitHub repositories distributed Vidar infostealer and GhostSocks proxy malware to users searching for OpenClaw installers, while Chinese cybersecurity authorities have documented cases of photos, payment credentials, and API keys being stolen. Token costs are also mounting: Zhipu raised prices on its OpenClaw-optimised model by 20%, and frustrated users have begun paying to have the software removed. With Steinberger announcing plans to join OpenAI and the project's long-term stewardship to be transferred to a foundation, OpenClaw's future remains as unsettled as the frenzy it ignited.

安全風險已不再是紙上談兵。有人在GitHub上架設偽造程式庫，針對搜尋OpenClaw安裝程式的用戶散播Vidar資訊竊取程式及GhostSocks代理惡意軟體；中國網路安全當局也記錄到多起照片、支付憑證與API金鑰遭竊的案例。代幣費用同樣持續上漲，智譜已將旗下OpenClaw最佳化模型的收費調漲20%，不少用戶更開始花錢請人「除蝦」。斯坦伯格宣布將加入OpenAI，並計畫將專案移交基金會管理，OpenClaw未來何去何從，至今仍充滿未知。

Keyword Drills 關鍵字

1. Affectionate [adjective, showing warmth or fondness toward someone or something]: Fans gave the app an affectionate nickname right away.
2. Early adopter [noun phrase, someone who uses a new technology before most others do]: Early adopters often shape how a product evolves.
3. Spill beyond [verb phrase, to spread past original or expected limits]: The story spilled beyond tech news into mainstream headlines.
4. Infostealer [noun, malware that secretly collects and transmits sensitive personal data]: The infostealer grabbed passwords without the user noticing.
5. Stewardship [noun, responsible management of something entrusted to one's care]: He handed over stewardship of the project to a foundation.

Reference article:

1. https://www.openclaw.org.tw/

2. https://www.reuters.com/technology/openclaw-enthusiasm-grips-china-schoolkids-retirees-alike-raise-lobsters-2026-03-19/

3. https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/hackers-exploit-openclaw-to-spread-malware-via-github-and-a-little-help-from-bing

4. https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/articles/c93wvdn91kxo/simp