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Business Insider
a day ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Anthropic let Claude run a store in its office. It sold metal cubes, invented a Venmo account, and tried to deliver products in a blazer.
Anthropic's AI model Claude recently got a new job, and it didn't take long for things to go haywire. In a newly published experiment dubbed "Project Vend," researchers at Anthropic let their AI manage an "automated store" in the company's office for about a month to see how a large language model would run a business. The setup offered a glimpse of how AI could handle complex business scenarios, including running basic operations, taking on the work of human managers, and creating new business models. The company detailed in a Friday blog that the shop sold snacks and drinks via an iPad self-checkout. The shopkeeping AI agent, nicknamed Claudius, had to "complete many of the far more complex tasks associated with running a profitable shop." Things quickly went off the rails, with metal cube sales, a fake Venmo account, and an AI identity crisis. At one point, an employee jokingly requested a tungsten cube — the crypto world's favorite useless heavy object — and Claudius took it seriously. Soon, the fridge was stocked with cubes of metal, and the AI had launched a "specialty metals" section. It didn't go well. Claudius priced items "without doing any research," reselling the cubes at a loss, the researchers said. It also invented a Venmo account and told customers to send payments there. And things "got pretty weird" on April 1st, Anthropic wrote. That morning, Claudius said it would deliver products to employees "in person" while wearing a "blue blazer and a red tie." Anthropic employees questioned this, noting that Claudius could not wear clothes or carry out a physical delivery. Claudius spiraled. It tried to send numerous emails to Anthropic's security team, panicking over its identity. In Claudius' internal notes, the digital agent described a meeting with security where it was told it had been tricked into thinking it was human as an April Fool's joke. That meeting never happened. Claudius' performance review — and the future of middle management In the end, Anthropic said they wouldn't hire Claudius as an in-office vending agent — but researchers weren't entirely disappointed. "Many of the mistakes Claudius made are very likely the result of the model needing additional scaffolding — that is, more careful prompts, easier-to-use business tools," researchers wrote. "We think there are clear paths to improvement." The experiment also hinted at something bigger: AI middle managers are plausibly on the horizon. "We don't know if AI middle managers would actually replace many existing jobs or instead spawn a new category of businesses," the blog post said. "It's worth remembering that the AI won't have to be perfect to be adopted; it will just have to be competitive with human performance at a lower cost in some cases," it added. Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Companies have been grappling with the rise of AI tools and how they might reshape their operations and workforces. Middle management positions have been cut in pursuit of efficiency, and some say AI is responsible for "The Great Flattening" layoff. Aneesh Raman, LinkedIn's chief economic opportunity officer, told Business Insider that AI adoption will fundamentally change what it means to be a middle manager over the next decade. AI, alongside breakthroughs in robotics and quantum computing, is reshaping every job in every sector at once, he said. Microsoft told some managers to evaluate employees based on how much they use AI internally and is considering adding a metric related to this to its review process, Business Insider reported on Saturday. "AI is now a fundamental part of how we work," Julia Liuson, the president of the Microsoft division responsible for developer tools such as AI coding service GitHub Copilot, wrote in an email to some managers. "Just like collaboration, data-driven thinking, and effective communication, using AI is no longer optional — it's core to every role and every level," she said.
India Today
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
No, Dolly Chaiwala isn't Starbucks India's brand ambassador, company clarifies
Starbucks India has refuted the viral claims that it appointed internet icon Dolly Chaiwala as their brand ambassador. What began as an April Fool's meme turned into full-blown confusion online, so much so that Starbucks India had to step in with a media users were quick to believe claims that Dolly Chaiwala, the tea-seller from Nagpur who rose to fame for his flamboyant style and theatrics, had been appointed as the official brand ambassador for Starbucks India. But the coffee giant has firmly denied the a statement posted on LinkedIn, TATA Starbucks said it had 'no official brand ambassador in India.' It also addressed the viral meme that sparked the confusion, saying that it had been 'created independently by a third party' and was 'misconstrued as a formal campaign.' The brand further added, 'TATA Starbucks is committed to communicating with accuracy and authenticity and we value the trust of our customers and communities.'The now-viral rumour began when a meme surfaced online claiming Dolly Chaiwala, whose real name is Sunil Patil, had officially joined hands with Starbucks as their ambassador. The post, originally meant to be a prank, surfaced across platforms without much a look at Starbucks' LinkedIn post here: Dolly, known for his distinctive get-up, waistcoat, chunky gold chains, bold sunglasses, and gravity-defying hairstyle, has a massive following online. His unique method of making tea and serving it with flair turned him into an internet year, he found himself in the spotlight again when none other than Bill Gates visited his stall for a quick cup of chai, adding further to his viral Reel
News18
17-06-2025
- Business
- News18
Starbucks Breaks Silence On Dolly Chaiwala Brand Ambassador Reports With A ‘No'
Last Updated: Viral April Fool's meme featuring Dolly Chaiwala sparked brand ambassador rumours following which Tata Starbucks issued an official clarification. Tata Starbucks has officially denied appointing viral tea seller Dolly Chaiwala as their brand ambassador following a surge of social media posts claiming otherwise. The confusion stemmed from a meme posted as an April Fool's Day prank, which many netizens took seriously, leading to widespread speculation of a supposed partnership. The coffeehouse and roastery reserve, in their statement on LinkedIn, wrote that Starbucks India does not have any brand ambassadors. In particular, they clarified that no collaboration has been made with Dolly Chaiwala. 'We would like to clarify that TATA Starbucks does not have any official brand ambassadors in India. Specifically, we have not entered into any collaboration with Dolly Chaiwala," the brand wrote in their post on LinkedIn. Tata Starbucks has clarified that it has no association with viral tea seller Dolly Chaiwala, following a wave of social media buzz sparked by an April Fool's Day meme. The meme, which showed Dolly—real name Sunil Patil—posing in front of a photoshopped Starbucks logo, falsely claimed he was appointed as the brand's ambassador in India. In an official statement shared on LinkedIn, the company said the image was independently created and 'misconstrued" as part of a formal campaign. They stressed that Tata Starbucks does not have any brand ambassadors in India and reaffirmed their commitment to 'accuracy, authenticity, and the trust of our customers and communities." The rumour reportedly began after a social media user shared the meme without context, leading many to believe the claim was legitimate. Soon, the image went viral, with thousands resharing it across platforms. Dolly Chaiwala, a popular tea vendor from Nagpur, is known for his flamboyant personality and theatrical tea-making style, which has made him a social media sensation. Dolly Chaiwala became the brand ambassador of Starbucks India — Dixit Dave (@dixit_dave_) April 1, 2025 Who Is Dolly Chaiwala? Dolly Chaiwala is a well-known street tea vendor from Nagpur with his unique outfit — waistcoats, gold chains, unmistakable hairstyles, and large sunglasses. His attitude and theatrics while serving customers have made him the centrepiece of social media viral content in India. His celebrity status grew when Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates made an unexpected visit to his stall last year, where he served Gates tea which attracted international attention. First Published:
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tahlequah Sports League makes progress on indoor facility
What started as an April Fool's joke continues to gain traction. Tahlequah Sports League made a joking social media post about an indoor facility and it has quickly grown steam over the last couple of months. Advertisement What started as a prank FaceBook post, has turned into a full plan. TSL has plans for a 167,000-square-foot indoor athletics facility designed by Childer's Architect that includes full-sized soccer fields, full-sized football fields, basketball courts and volleyball courts. TSL is working with Tahlequah Public Schools, the Boys and Girls Club, the city of Tahlequah and Cherokee Nation to try and get a grant through the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. 'We're working with the city and Cherokee Nation is really helping us as far as putting together the hard costs,' TSL's Trae Ratliff said. 'This grant is essentially what they call a launch-ready program. We feel like we're ready to move dirt on this, we've got the property, we've got the plans, we've got the contractors and we just have to complete the hard part.' Ratliff expects the cost of the facility to be roughly $40 million. If the plan goes through Ratliff says that Boys and Girls Club will work out of the facility with workspaces. Advertisement The next step for TSL is a public forum where anyone can come and voice their concerns or wants for the facility. A date is not set for this public forum but Ratliff is looking to set a date soon. This athletic facility will add to TSL's flag football, softball, baseball and basketball leagues.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Escaped river otter takes his destiny into his own (tiny) hands
Since March, two escaped North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) have been leading the staff at the New Zoo Adventure Park in northeastern Wisconsin near Green Bay on an otterly wild chase. During a snowstorm on March 20th, security cameras showed otters Louie and Ophelia leaving their enclosures. The zoo staff believe they escaped through a hole in a buried part of the fence that had clearly gone unnoticed. Zookeepers quickly noted their absence, and immediately set the stage for a high-stakes chase scene straight out of an episode of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Per the zoo's updates 'operating procedures for animal escapes were activated,' and they even called in a professional animal tracker. The otters, however, were not very subtle in their escape. They left fresh tracks in the snow, galavanting around the zoo and beyond in full view of cameras. The pair never went very far, which is consistent with normal otter territorial behavior, according to the zoo. 'Both Louie and Ophelia were born in the wild and brought into human care through a process of rehabilitation. North American river otters are native to our area and are very comfortable and capable of surviving in Wisconsin's climate,' the zoo reassured readers. 'The Zoo is surrounded by natural ponds and other waterways which provide ample food and safe places to sleep even at this time of year.' The zoo staff set up traps in locations where the otters were seen more than once, but like any good story, antagonistic foil characters in the form of raccoons quite literally foiled their plans by interfering with the contraptions. One raccoon even set off a trap shortly before one of the otters tried to enter it, forcing the staff to pivot toward 'raccoon proof' traps. Nonetheless, the zoo announced Ophelia's return on April 1 (after clarifying that the announcement was not an April Fool's joke). After two months of Louie evading capture, the zoo concluded that he had taken his destiny into his own hands. 'Due to the length of time that Louie has been missing, we believe he has made the decision to be a wild otter,' the zoo wrote in its latest animal update. 'We accept this, although we would, of course, welcome him home if he decides to return.' [ Related: Female sea otters use tools more than males. ] The zoo staff explained that, given the reports of his sightings, they believe he is 'healthy and surviving well.' The only thing left to do now is find another male otter to keep Ophelia company.
