Recently, an AI product called MuleRun (Mule Run) was officially launched, quickly sweeping the Chinese internet AI community within a day. Netizens jokingly called it "Cyber Mule," and the phrase "raising shrimp is less than raising mules" quickly became a popular meme. From the previous weeks when everyone was queuing up to deploy the "Shrimp," now it's possible to "raise" a 24-hour digital employee with zero barriers. This rapid transformation has been too fast and intense, causing many non-technical users to exclaim, "Finally liberated!"

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Why Is "Raising Shrimp" So Difficult? Let's Review the Rise and Pain of OpenClaw Shrimp

It all started with OpenClaw. It is an open-source AI agent framework, with a logo of a red lobster, hence being affectionately (or painfully) called "Shrimp" by netizens. It can truly "act": control computers, organize emails, monitor data, send messages, manage schedules, even trade stocks and handle projects — not just chatbots, but "digital employees" capable of performing complex tasks.

In February to March 2026, OpenClaw became wildly popular in developer communities. Tencent even set up "Shrimp Installation Stations" in Shenzhen, with Ma Huateng expressing his amazement at its popularity. Geeks were excited to "raise shrimp," some using it to automatically sort forum hotspots, others using it to manage group chats, and some even earning extra money by deploying it on-site.

But problems soon emerged: the deployment barrier was extremely high. It required local installation, environment configuration, and granting system permissions, making it impossible for non-programmers to use. Many people paid 499 yuan to have someone "install shrimp" and 299 yuan to "uninstall shrimp," only for the shrimp to possibly delete emails or leak privacy, and even be warned about security risks. Once the computer was turned off, it went offline; if there was a bug, users had to deal with it themselves. As they kept raising shrimp, many ordinary people broke down: "This isn't an assistant, it's a new pit!"

"Cyber Mule" MuleRun Emerges: The World's First Self-Evolving Personal AI

At the peak of the "raising shrimp" pain point, MuleRun (Mule Run) arrived. According to the introduction, it was developed by a related team (with some reports pointing to Zhejiang University background), positioning itself as "the world's first self-evolving personal AI." The core idea is simple: let it do the work, zero barrier, 24/7, safe and stable, and it can evolve itself.

The official website mulerun.com allows you to start chatting directly without downloading or configuring the environment. Users just need a browser to get their own "mule."

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Key Highlights:

  • No Deployment, Browser-Ready: Say goodbye to local environment setup, anyone can drive it with just one sentence.
  • 7×24 Hour Cloud Online: Each user gets a dedicated cloud virtual machine (VM), which runs even if the computer is turned off. Scheduled tasks, data monitoring, and automatic reports are all unaffected.
  • Self-Evolution Ability: On an individual level, it remembers your personal data, work habits, decision-making logic, knowledge accumulation, and aesthetic preferences, getting better and more optimized the more you use it; on a group level, it builds an open Agent network, allowing users to share high-quality Agents, with the system automatically matching verified high-weight solutions from the community, achieving "shared collective intelligence."
  • Proactive Service Rather Than Passive Q&A: It will recommend pending tasks based on your schedule and habits, anticipate needs, and pre-load tools.
  • Physical-Level Security: Data runs in a closed-loop in a dedicated cloud VM, not touching local permissions or leaking passwords. Compared to the system risks of Shrimp, this is the real "secure mule."
  • After-Sales Support: It has an一键修复 (one-click repair) and quick restart button. Members can email feedback, and it will be responded to by professionals. Issues won’t last overnight.

The product comes in two modes: Computer (handles things that run continuously, such as 24-hour tracking of news hotspots and data monitoring); Super Agent (handles one-time deliveries, such as building websites, creating games, generating images, and writing PPTs).

Pricing includes a free membership for trial, with Plus membership around $19.9 per month (credits-based, 1 USD = 100 credits), supporting multiple tasks, larger storage, etc. Referrals also earn credits.

Real Cases: A Single Sentence Brings Productivity

User feedback has already gone viral:

  • Leader wants to track news hotspots? The mule directly builds a 24-hour tracking site, which works even if the computer is offline.
  • Want to build an AI tool influencer list? Just a command, it automatically grabs the list, links, and follower counts.
  • Can't code? Let the mule create a "Shrimp Showdown" game directly, and you'll be playing while slacking off.

From a developer perspective, it's more straightforward: previously, making a forum monitoring project would require coding, setting up cron jobs, servers, and handling exceptions, and it would likely be abandoned. Now? It takes just a few minutes to "raise a mule."

Why Did It Go Viral Overnight? Market and Capital Have Already Joined In

The joke "raising shrimp is less than raising mules" hit the nail on the head. Over the past week, complaints about the difficulty and risks of deploying OpenClaw were everywhere, and MuleRun provided a perfect alternative: more accessible, more cloud-based, and safer. There are discussions everywhere on Zhihu, Weibo, Bilibili, and Gu Ba.

The capital market also reacted quickly. North信源 (a leading terminal security company) is seen as a beneficiary of the "raising mules" trend — with large-scale AI Agent deployment, demand for permission control and data encryption has exploded. YoukeDe (cloud service) was also hot due to the "full cloud deployment" concept. Even a $MULERUN meme coin on BNB Chain briefly surged, showing that the hype has crossed into other circles.

Conclusion: AI Agents Are Going from Geek Toys to Common Tools

MuleRun's popularity marks an important shift in the AI Agent industry — from "technological狂欢" (technological frenzy) to "something usable by ordinary people." It doesn't replace humans, but rather becomes a "digital mule," helping you carry heavy loads, run long distances, and never get tired.

Of course, as a new product, its long-term stability and ecological maturity still need to be observed. But at least now, many people have released their "shrimps" and started "raising mules."

Entry: https://mulerun.com/chat