# Recently Attended OpenClaw Offline Event in Beijing

I participated in an offline event by OpenClaw in Beijing recently, gave an interview with Jinse Finance, and shared some thoughts on AI. Here's a quick summary of my core viewpoints:

## 1. Is AI a Tool or a New Species?

I lean toward this: AI is not an entirely new species, but rather a super product with innovative attributes.

From a timeline perspective:
- 2022 ChatGPT = AI's iPhone moment
- OpenClaw = More like iOS, an "entry layer"

However, this industry is still very early stage with significant uncertainty.

## 2. Why Is OpenClaw So Hot?

My personal impression:
It's the first time ordinary people can "directly own AI capabilities"
Every individual can use it to build their own "Layer 1"
This was hard to imagine in the past.
So the recent trend of "everyone raising shrimp" is a natural occurrence.

## 3. But the Problems Are Obvious

I have two intuitive observations from using it:
- High barrier to entry (complex installation and configuration)
- Requests too many permissions (Feishu, email, etc.)

The fundamental contradiction is:
- Don't give permissions → Can't get things done
- Grant permissions → Security risks

So right now I'm treating myself as a "lab rat" and testing carefully.

## 4. Which Scenarios Have Real Demand?

Actually, it's quite simple: Any industry requiring massive information processing is a genuine need.

For example:
- Research / Consulting / Finance
- Data Analysis / Quantitative Trading
- Even in the future: Everyone could build their own trading models

## 5. Will AI Agents Replace Software?

My judgment: Very likely to restructure the entire software industry.

Historically:
- Internet → Replaced newspapers
- Mobile internet → Replaced websites
- Apps → Restructured entry points again

Next: SaaS / Apps could very well be rewritten by AI Agents

## 6. About the Future

AI is indeed changing productivity, and production relations and methods are changing along with it.
The future may see "one-person companies," but note:
The barrier isn't low; it's actually higher
Because you need to simultaneously possess: cognition + judgment + creativity

AI is hot right now, but remains extremely early stage.
Many technologies only truly take off after long-term validation in the real world.