Tencent adds ClawBot plug-in to WeChat amid OpenClaw boom and privacy warnings

Tencent Holdings is rolling out a “ClawBot” plug-in for China’s most popular app WeChat as it seeks to capitalise on the OpenClaw craze, even as authorities continue to warn about risks.The move announced on Sunday will allow WeChat’s more than 1 billion monthly active users to command their OpenClaw artificial intelligence agents directly through the app, which is deeply embedded in daily life in China.In recent weeks, almost every Chinese tech giant has announced new offerings based on OpenClaw, the open-source AI agent tool developed by Austrian programmer Peter Steinberger that autonomously performs tasks on behalf of users such as organising files and sending emails.A standout feature is its ability to interact through messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram. Chinese companies have raced to integrate the agent into their own platforms, aiming to funnel new users into their OpenClaw ecosystems built around messaging apps, AI models and cloud-hosting services.Before Sunday’s announcement, Tencent had already linked OpenClaw to its social networking app QQ and workplace communications app WeCom, while Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the South China Morning Post, had integrated it with its workplace collaboration platform DingTalk.People queue to have OpenClaw installed outside the Baidu offices in Beijing on March 17. Photo: ReutersThe WeChat roll-out marks the biggest campaign yet to drive adoption, given the app’s ubiquity in China, where it is known as Weixin and often described as a super app that combines messaging with search, blogs, short videos and workplace tools.