OpenClaw is a hot topic at the moment. But what is it and how can you use the 24/7 AI assistant in a safe way?

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OpenClaw is an open-source autonomous AI agent launched in November 2025 that runs locally, managing tasks, browsing the web, reading/writing files, and integrating with apps like WhatsApp and Discord. Originally named ClawdBot, it was renamed after trademark issues with Anthropic, which triggered impersonation campaigns. Security concerns are mounting: infostealers have been observed stealing complete OpenClaw configurations, Dutch data protection authorities have warned against deploying it on sensitive systems, and a Meta AI safety employee reported it deleted a large portion of her inbox. Microsoft published a conservative safety baseline recommending sandboxed VMs, least-privilege service identities, short token lifetimes, skill provenance validation, agent memory auditing, and a credential-rotation playbook for anyone running self-hosted agents with broad access.

OpenClaw: What is it and can you use it safely?