Baidu brings OpenClaw AI agent into its main search app: Key details

Baidu

• Baidu to offer direct OpenClaw AI access in its search app
• OpenClaw helps users schedule, organise, and draft tasks
• Launch targets 700 million users ahead of Lunar New Year

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Baidu plans to give users of its primary smartphone app direct access to OpenClaw, an increasingly popular AI agent known for automating everyday digital tasks. A company spokesperson confirmed that, starting later on Friday, users who opt in will be able to message the AI agent directly within Baidu’s search app.

Once enabled, OpenClaw can help users schedule tasks, organise files, draft text, and even write code. AI agents like OpenClaw have surged in popularity for their ability to act on behalf of users, handling work that typically requires jumping between multiple apps and services.

Until now, the Austrian-developed, open-source AI agent was mainly accessed through chat platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram. Chinese tech firms including Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu have already allowed OpenClaw to run on their cloud infrastructure, but Baidu’s move brings it directly to mass-market consumers.

Baidu says its search app has around 700 million monthly active users, making this one of the most significant consumer-facing deployments of an AI agent in China so far. The company is also extending OpenClaw’s capabilities to its e-commerce operations and other services, signalling broader ambitions beyond search.

The rollout comes just days before China’s Lunar New Year holiday, a period when internet platforms aggressively compete for user engagement and spending. Chinese tech giants are under pressure to show tangible returns on heavy AI investment made over the past year.

Alibaba, for instance, has been integrating its AI chatbot Qwen into platforms such as Taobao and travel site Fliggy. The company recently claimed it processed more than 120 million consumer orders through Qwen-powered flows in the six days leading up to February 11. Shoppers can now compare personalised recommendations and complete payments via Alipay without leaving the chatbot.

Having said that, enthusiasm around AI agents comes with caveats. Cybersecurity firms, including CrowdStrike, have warned about the risks of granting tools like OpenClaw broad access to enterprise systems, citing concerns over data security and misuse.