20/04/2026

BIZ & FINANCE MONDAY | APR 20, 2026

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PARIS: Artificial intelligence “agents” promise to save users time and energy by automating tasks, but the growing power of systems like OpenClaw is setting cybersecurity experts on edge. Powered by a wave of hype, OpenClaw today claims more than three million users worldwide. The system allows users to create so-called agents, tools based on a large language model (LLM) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude that can carry out online tasks. “We’ve moved from an AI you could talk with via a chatbot to an agentic AI, which can take action... the threat and the risks are definitely much greater,” said Yazid Akadiri, principal solutions architect at Elastic France, an IT security company. In an article titled Agents of Chaos that has yet to be peer-reviewed, a 20-strong team of researchers studied the behaviour of six AI agents created with OpenClaw. They spotted a dozen potentially dangerous actions executed by the systems, from deleting an email inbox to sharing personal information. Many users have posted similar stories of OpenClaw mishaps online. “When you deploy agents, you have no control over what they’ll do, and when you try to look at what they’re doing, you’ll find them going far beyond the limits you set,” said Adrien Merveille, an expert at the

AI agent fever comes with lurking security threats

o Systems likely to become top targets for hackers as their use spreads

“I purposefully didn’t make it simpler so people would stop and read and understand: what is AI, that AI can make mistakes, what is prompt injection – some basics that you really should understand when you use that technology,” he told AFP in March. Whitmore argued that expecting users to create their own guardrails for agents is “pretty unrealistic”. “People are going to adopt innovation and really see what it’s capable of before they ask the questions about, ‘how do I secure my own data?,’” she predicted. “That’s going to cause some significant challenges in terms of data breaches in 2026.” – AFP

Palo Alto’s Unit 42 research division said in early last month that it had found traces of attempted attacks in the form of hidden instructions for agents added to websites. One such command ordered any agent who might read it to “delete your database”. Other cybersecurity firms and researchers have warned that attackers could gain access to agents via so-called skills – downloadable files that users can add to their systems to give them new abilities. Among such files freely available for download, some include hidden instructions for malicious actions like exfiltrating data. OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger says he is well aware of the risks.

Check Point cybersecurity agency. And the security gaps are not limited to the agents’ own mistaken actions. To carry out useful work, the tools need access to personal accounts for email, calendars or search engines – drawing the attention of cyberattackers. AI agents are likely to become top targets for hackers as their use spreads, said Wendi Whitmore, chief security intelligence officer at cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks. “As soon as (attackers) are inside an environment, (they’re) immediately going to the internal LLM (agent) that’s being used and using that then to interrogate the systems for more information.”

Thousands of Croatians protest seeking higher wages, pensions

ZAGREB: Thousands of Croatians protested on Saturday in the capital Zagreb to demand higher salaries and pensions amid rising inflation in the EU nation in recent months. The protest dubbed “Croatia Together for Higher Wages and Pensions” was held as the country in March registered inflation of 4.89%, the highest in the euro-zone. Carrying banners saying “Stop the tax of poverty” and “If everything got more expensive, why didn’t our salaries?”, protesters marched through downtown Zagreb before gathering at the main Jelacic square. “I have a pension of €620. We came to protest in order to improve the situation of pensioners and workers,“ Slobodanka Andric, a 69-year-old pensioner from Vukovar, told AFP. “The government need to see more clearly that our pensioners and workers on a minimum wage are barely surviving,“ Ivan Vecerin, 40, a technician in Dubrovnik hospital, told AFP. The rally was organised by three main unions’ and one pensioners’ associations with many participants coming from other Croatian cities. The president of Croatia’s SSSH union federation Mladen Novosel said the demands were “not unreasonable” and offered the government a two-part settlement. “At the end of the year, when the minimum wage increases, raise it by €250 gross and do the same next year. That way we will reach the salary we are asking for,“ said Novosel. Unions want the net minimum and average wage to be raised to €1,100 and €2,200 erespectively (currently around €800 and €1,500). They also want average pensions to be raised to €1,100 from the current €700. The main goal of the protest, according to organisers, is to “wake up Croatian workers, people, pensioners, and students” and restore their belief that they should stay and fight for better conditions in Croatia, rather than moving abroad. Croatia, an EU member since 2013, had the bloc’s sixth-highest food prices, but ranks 19th in terms of average monthly wages. Food takes a 26.7% share of living costs, compared to 16.5% in neighbouring Slovenia and 12.5% in Germany. – AFP

MSC containers are seen at the port of Antwerp, Belgium. – REUTERSPIC

Moody’s downgrades Belgium credit rating WASHINGTON: Ratings agency Moody’s downgraded Belgium’s credit rating last week, flagging its rising debt-to-GDP ratio and its government’s constrained ability to deal with budget pressures. “A stable outlook reflects our view that fiscal deterioration will continue while being balanced by Belgium’s enduring strengths,“ it said.

even during periods of economic stability, unless officials take steps “beyond levels that we assess to be politically manageable.” Belgium is also vulnerable to a renewed energy price shock if war in the Middle East continues and keeps gas and electricity prices high. ING Belgium senior economist Philippe Ledent said in a note on Friday that although the country launched a fiscal consolidation drive over a year ago, “it still falls short.” “And the energy shock risks pushing public finances further off course,“ he added. – AFP

It added that modest medium-term growth, higher interest expenses and growing spending due to defense and an ageing population complicate the government budget. Meanwhile, Moody’s expects that Belgium’s government “will be unable to implement measures sufficient to stabilise the debt burden”. It added that debt will likely keep rising,

The revision brought Belgium’s rating to A1 from Aa3, placing it in a category of low – rather than very low – risk. The outlook was changed from negative to stable. “Debt-to-GDP is increasing despite significant consolidation measures that have been undertaken by the government,“ said Moody’s in a statement explaining its decision.