Steven Li sells cosmetics to overseas customers from the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu. This month, amid the popularity of the OpenClaw AI agent framework, he expanded the business by “hiring” four “AI employees”.

On the front lines, the AI customer service manages real-time inquiries 24/7 on WhatsApp, while a “digital sales” agent provides price quotes. Behind the scenes, a third role ensures operational transparency by providing tracking status for every order, while an “operations assistant” synthesises raw data into actionable performance reports.

The approach “frees up human power by automating repetitive work”, Li said. The total cost is roughly US$40 per month for two subscriptions to ChatGPT Plus accounts.

The era of “solopreneurship” has arrived in China, propelled by the explosive growth of OpenClaw and a raft of supportive government policies aimed at nurturing one-person companies (OPCs).

This week, Guangdong became the first provincial-level government to roll out comprehensive action plans specifically designed to support AI-powered OPCs, followed by the provincial government of Hubei in central China. Both are providing resources for computing power and token output.

Several city and district authorities have rolled out similar policies, including Shanghai, Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, and Qingdao city in northern Shandong province.