what is openclaw? is it safe?

OpenClaw is an open-source artificial intelligence agent created by Austrian programmer Peter Steinberger that functions as a digital assistant [1, 3]. It is designed to perform complex, autonomous tasks across a user's computer, phone, or business, such as managing emails, booking travel, and acting as an integration layer between disparate systems [1, 3, 6]. Regarding safety, OpenClaw is widely considered a significant security risk. Its "permissionless" architecture allows it to gain shell access, file system privileges, and access to sensitive OAuth tokens for platforms like Gmail, Slack, and SharePoint [2, 6]. Security experts and authorities, including China's National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team, have warned that the tool can expose keys, delete data, and load malicious content [8, 11]. Due to these cybersecurity and data risks, some authorities have reportedly banned the tool, and various security platforms and alternative versions have been developed to address its vulnerabilities [4, 7, 8].