Chinese tech giants move into 'next-generation AI agents' deployment

An AI interaction testing product called Xiaomi micLaw, which is akin to the recently popular OpenClaw, has begun limited internal testing, the Chinese tech company said on Friday.

2026 is widely viewed as the first "year of AI agents."

Intelligent agents represented by OpenClaw have reached a new level of capability in the agentic layer. Unlike traditional agents that rely on real-time conversational commands, OpenClaw can run tasks autonomously around the clock, reflecting a shift from conversational AI towards systems capable of executing tasks.

According to the company, Xiaomi micLaw operates as a system-level application, enabling direct control of device functions rather than simply answering questions or conducting web searches.

The system-level agent is equipped with more than 50 capabilities, including reading and writing text messages and files, controlling smart home devices and operating built-in system tools on smartphones.

For example, if a phone receives information that a user has purchased a flight ticket, the system can automatically read the user's schedule, check the weather, estimate commute time and generate relevant calendar events, alarms and voice reminders.

More broadly, Xiaomi micLaw is connected to Xiaomi's IoT ecosystem, a network of internet-connected devices, allowing it to read the status of connected devices and control them accordingly. Beyond smartphones, Xiaomi has built a large smart-home market, with the company saying its platform has connected more than one billion devices.

The development could reshape the landscape for AI terminals, said Guo Tao, an angel investor in the artificial intelligence sector, adding that industry observers generally view system-level agents as the third stage of AI smartphone development.

Xiaomi's move signals that deep integration between intelligent agents and smart devices is likely to become a major trend, Guo said. "Xiaomi micLaw connects the company's 'human-car-home' ecosystem and enables dynamic coordination between devices."

Technology giants are racing to seize the opportunity presented by OpenClaw-style agents. On Friday, Tencent launched a campaign offering engineers to help users deploy OpenClaw free of charge, attracting nearly 1,000 participants.

Tencent's cloud platform released a one-click deployment template for OpenClaw less than a month after the model was open-sourced. According to the company, the number of developers using its cloud service Lighthouse has reached a historical peak, while the number of cloud users deploying OpenClaw has exceeded 100,000 and continues to grow.

On Thursday, OpenAI launched GPT-5.4, its first general-purpose model capable of directly operating a computer.

The model can not only write code but also issue mouse and keyboard commands based on screenshots, enabling AI agents to control computers and perform complex workflows across different applications – a clear move towards more highly agentic AI systems.