China's internet finance industry body has issued the country's first financial sector-specific warning over the use of OpenClaw AI agents, raising alarm over potential financial risks posed by autonomous AI tools.

The National Internet Finance Association of China released a risk alert on Sunday regarding the safe use of OpenClaw in the internet finance industry.

The association said OpenClaw agents pose "serious risk challenges" to the sector. Given the industry's high level of digitalization and online operations, platforms directly handle sensitive information such as client funds, assets, accounts and personal financial data.

While OpenClaw can improve operational efficiency, its default high system permissions and relatively weak security configurations may create vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit to steal sensitive data or manipulate financial transactions.

The association advised financial institutions not to install OpenClaw on devices used for handling core financial operations such as customer information processing, fund transfers, risk control reviews and transaction execution.

Consumers were also urged to exercise "extreme caution" when installing OpenClaw on devices used for online banking, securities trading or payment services, while staying highly vigilant against financial fraud activities carried out under the guise of using OpenClaw in stock trading.