Tech Explained: China’s Baidu adds AI Agent in Search app for 700 million users that companies in Korea have ‘restricted’ and security companies are warning users about in Simple Terms

Baidu reportedly plans to give users of its main smartphone app direct access to the wildly popular artificial intelligence tool OpenClaw. According to the Chinese tech company, starting later on Friday (February 13), users who opt in can message the AI agent through Baidu’s main search app to complete tasks such as scheduling, organizing files and writing code. Baidu claims 700 million monthly active users for its search app. The company is also said to be rolling out OpenClaw’s capabilities to its e-commerce business and other services.OpenClaw gained attention this week after the emergence of a new social network called Moltbook that is advertised as being exclusively for the use of OpenClaw bots. Cybersecurity firm Wiz said last weel that the network had a major flaw that exposed private data on thousands of people.

What is OpenClaw

OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent previously known as Clawdbot and Moltbot, is a powerful personal assistant that can connect to LLMs, integrate with external APIs, and autonomously execute an array of tasks like sending email or controlling browsers. OpenClaw is installed on local machines or dedicated servers. It stores configuration data and interaction history locally, which allows its behavior to persist across sessions. Because it’s designed to run locally, users often give it expansive access to terminal, files, and in some cases, root-level execution privileges.

‘OpenClaw’ AI Agents worry security researchers

While OpenClaw carries the promise of AI-driven productivity, it also presents growing security concerns. Cybersecurity companies including CrowdStrike have warned the public about granting OpenClaw unfettered access to enterprise systems.Last week, China’s industry ministry warned that the OpenClaw open-source AI agent, which gained global popularity in recent weeks, could pose significant security risks when improperly configured and expose users to cyberattacks and data breaches. The country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said it had discovered instances where users were operating OpenClaw with inadequate security settings and said better precautions needed to be taken. In South Korea, major technology companies including Kakao, Naver, and Karrot Market, are restricting the use of the open-source AI agent OpenClaw over security concerns. Companies cited risks related to data privacy, potential leaks, and system manipulation. Kakao and Naver told employees to avoid using OpenClaw on work devices, while Karrot Market blocked both access and use of OpenClaw and Moltbot.Kakao said it was restricting the tool, previously known as ClaudeBot or MaltBot, to safeguard corporate information assets. Naver has issued a similar internal ban, while Danggeun has blocked access entirely, citing risks beyond the company’s control. While none of these companies have formally announced a ban on OpenClaw, online workplace forums suggest internal security teams are monitoring its use.Microsoft’s AI safety team too has publicly questioned whether the tool is secure enough for enterprise use.