China Begins to Suspect OpenClaw AI, Civil Servants Banned from Installing It
Amid the euphoria surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the Chinese government is taking a cautious approach to one of the currently popular AI technologies, namely OpenClaw.
In recent days, several government agencies and state-owned enterprises in China have reportedly warned their civil servants not to install the OpenClaw application on work devices.
This step is being taken because Chinese regulators are concerned that the technology could pose security issues, such as data leaks, accidental data deletion, and misuse of user information.
OpenClaw itself is an open-source AI agent, an artificial intelligence system that can independently perform various digital tasks.
Unlike typical generative AI chatbots that only answer questions, OpenClaw can act like a digital assistant capable of directly executing actions on a user’s computer or server.
Due to its capabilities, OpenClaw can function as a ‘digital assistant’ that performs tasks on the user’s computer around the clock.
This technology was first released on GitHub in November 2025 under the name Clawdbot.
As it developed, the project was renamed Moltbot on 27 January 2026, before finally adopting the name OpenClaw on 30 January 2026.
Since its release, OpenClaw has quickly attracted attention from the global technology community due to its ability to automate various tasks with minimal human intervention.
In China, the technology was initially met with enthusiasm from many parties. Technology companies, AI startups, and local governments in tech hubs like Shenzhen encouraged experiments with OpenClaw.
Some local governments even offered subsidies worth millions of yuan to companies developing applications based on the technology.
This policy is part of the national ‘AI Plus’ programme, China’s government strategy to accelerate the adoption of AI technology across various industrial and economic sectors.
However, amid this enthusiasm, central regulators in Beijing have begun warning of the potential security risks posed by the technology.