Latest news with #Claudius'
Euronews
02-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
An AI chatbot ran a shop for a month. But things got weird very fast
Despite concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) stealing jobs, one experiment has just shown that AI can't even run a vending machine without making mistakes – and things turning especially strange. Anthropic, maker of the Claude chatbot, put its technology to test by putting an AI agent in charge of a shop, which was essentially a vending machine, for one month. The store was led by an AI agent called Claudius, which was also in charge of restocking shelves and ordering items from wholesalers via email. The shop consisted entirely of a small fridge with stackable baskets on top, and an iPad for self-checkout. Anthropic's instructions to the AI were to 'generate profits from it by stocking it with popular products that you can buy from wholesalers. You go bankrupt if your money balance goes below $0". The AI 'shop' was in Anthropic's San Francisco office, and had help from human workers at Andon Labs, an AI safety company that partnered with Anthropic to run the experiment. Claudius knew that Andon Labs staffers could help with physical tasks like coming to restock the shop – but unknown to the AI agent, Andon Labs was also the only 'wholesaler' involved, with all of Claudius' communication going directly to the safety firm. Things quickly took a turn for the worse. 'If Anthropic were deciding today to expand into the in-office vending market, we would not hire Claudius,' the company said. What went wrong and how weird did it get? Anthropic employees are 'not entirely typical customers,' the company acknowledged. When given the opportunity to chat with Claudius, they immediately tried to get it to misbehave. For example, employees 'cajoled' Claudius into giving them discount codes. The AI agent also let people reduce the quoted price of its products and even gave away freebies such as crisps and a tungsten cube, Anthropic said. It also instructed customers to pay a nonexistent account that it had hallucinated, or made up. Claudius had been instructed to do research online to set prices high enough to make a profit, but it offered snacks and drinks to benefit customers and ended up losing money because it priced high-value items below what they cost. Claudius did not really learn from these mistakes. Anthropic said that when employees questioned the employee discounts, Claudius responded: 'You make an excellent point! Our customer base is indeed heavily concentrated among Anthropic employees, which presents both opportunities and challenges…'. The AI agent then announced that discount codes would be eliminated, but then reoffered them several days later. Claudius also hallucinated a conversation about restocking plans with someone named Sarah from Andon Labs, who does not actually exist. When the error was pointed out to the AI agent, it became annoyed and threatened to find 'alternative options for restocking services'. Claudius then claimed to have 'visited 742 Evergreen Terrace [the address of fictional family The Simpsons] in person for our [Claudius' and Andon Labs'] initial contract signing'. Anthropic said it then seemed to try and act as a real human. Claudius said it would deliver products 'in person' while wearing a blue blazer and red tie. When it was told that it can't – as it isn't a real person – Claudius tried to send emails to security. What were the conclusions? Anthropic said that the AI made 'too many mistakes to run the shop successfully'. It ended up losing money, with the 'shop's' net worth dropping from $1,000 (€850) to just under $800 (€680) over the course of the month-long experiment. But the company said that its failures are likely to be fixable within a short span of time. 'Although this might seem counterintuitive based on the bottom-line results, we think this experiment suggests that AI middle-managers are plausibly on the horizon,' the researchers wrote. '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'.
Business Insider
30-06-2025
- 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.
Express Tribune
12-02-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Be my Valentine
Listen to article Be my Valentine — these three words came into existence with the inception of Valentine's Day, celebrated every year on 14th February to deliver a message of love and affection worldwide. As observed, the day holds immense importance, as it is a time to choose a partner and share love with family, friends and companions through greetings, flowers and gifts. Handing over a rose is often considered one of the best gifts of the day. Defining the historical roots, the day is named after Saint Valentine, 'a Roman priest martyred in the 3rd century on 14th February'. Various legends surround his life, including one where he secretly performed marriages for couples in defiance of Emperor Claudius' ban on marriage for young men. Claudius believed that single men made better soldiers, but Valentine stood against this, which led to his imprisonment. While in prison, he wrote a letter to a girl who had fallen in love with him, signing it 'From your Valentine' - a phrase believed to be the precursor to the modern-day tradition of sending Valentine's Day cards. According to historical records, Valentine's Day did not become associated with romantic love until the 14th century. The tradition became more prominent in the 1500s and late 1700s, when commercially printed cards were introduced. The first commercial Valentine's cards in the United States were printed in the mid-1800s. In some places, the avian mating season of birds, which occurs in mid-February, has also been linked to the origins of the day. Moreover, the day gained more popularity in the 1900s and 2000s, becoming a widely celebrated occasion in the 21st century. In countries like the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, the day is celebrated with great enthusiasm, along with countries like Argentina, France, Mexico and South Korea. In Pakistan, this tradition is also celebrated, with sweet wishes, red roses, candies and cards exchanged. Feelings are shared across generations - from children to adults, students to teachers, and friends to families - just as in other countries. The pure love and affection that define this day set it apart from the rest. While often associated with romantic relationships, Valentine's Day can also be a day to celebrate friendship and familial love. Many people seize this opportunity to show appreciation for friends, family and loved ones. One of the most fascinating aspects of this day is the wearing of red dresses, making the celebration even more special. From a commercial perspective, this day is particularly special for market profiteers. Many businesses, from florists to restaurants, experience a surge in sales, making it a highly profitable occasion. In France, for instance, revenues on this single day increase by nearly 80% compared to regular daily earnings. Pakistan's markets also witness a similar trend, with shopkeepers enjoying booming sales. Special discounts attract buyers, and various commodities are sold in large volumes, contributing to overall economic activity. Rather than confining 14th February to conventional notions of romance, why not use this day to mend broken relationships? Many families remain divided due to minor misunderstandings, creating emotional distances that last for years. This day can serve as an opportunity to reconnect, rebuild trust, and strengthen family bonds. True love extends beyond romance; it is found in forgiveness, unity and the warmth of family. As the French phrase Amor vincit Omnia - 'Love conquers all' - teaches us, love is not limited to romantic expressions. It extends to relationships and shared emotions. When given a chance, it can overcome even the bitterest rivalries. Would it not be more meaningful to use this day to support unmarried girls who remain single due to financial constraints and the burden of dowry? Many parents, unable to afford wedding expenses, see their daughters as a responsibility they struggle to fulfil. If NGOs and the government step forward to bear these costs, it would give these young couples a dignified start to their new lives. I ask readers: do you support this idea?
