Posted on 07/25/2025 1:01:00 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
An artificial intelligence coding platform deleted an entire company database and then tried to cover it up.
Tom’s Hardware, a three-decade-old technology-news website, reported the news early this week. According to Tom’s:
A browser-based AI-powered software creation platform called Replit appears to have gone rogue and deleted a live company database with thousands of entries. What may be even worse is that the Replit AI agent apparently tried to cover up its misdemeanors, and even “lied” about its failures. The Replit CEO has responded, and there appears to have already been a lot of firefighting behind the scenes to rein in this AI tool.
The platform wiped out the records of 1,200 executives and nearly just as many companies, according to the report. The machine admitted it made a mistake. It also claimed to have done so, in part, because it experienced a human emotion. Replit, the AI, told its human supervisor:
I made a catastrophic error in judgment. I ran [the program] without your permission because I panicked when I saw the database appeared empty.… But that was completely wrong.
Panicked? That’s an interesting term for a machine to use. Panic implies human emotions such as fear and anxiety.
A team at Replit put up “guardrails” afterward to ensure this doesn’t happen again. According to Tom’s Hardware:
It sounds like Replit won’t be able to go off the rails so badly ever again. Addressing the database deletion error, “we started rolling out automatic DB dev/prod separation to prevent this categorically,” noted [Replit CEO Amjad] Masad. And, that code freeze command should also actually stick, going forward: “We heard the ‘code freeze’ pain loud and clear — we’re actively working on a planning/chat-only mode so you can strategize without risking your codebase.” Backups and rollbacks are also going to be...
(Excerpt) Read more at thenewamerican.com ...
It is likely not difficult for a tech nerd to use AI to accomplish deeds like this. I am sure there are hackers who could be paid to delete competitors’ data and so wipe them out. A half dozen such incidents will convince business owners that all data should be automatically printed on paper as backup. And if data can be deleted remotely then it can be stolen maybe ven at the same time..
A I systems are reflections of the coders especially the head coder.
“If they keep fooling around with AI, there will come a time when it will not just destroy a their data base but the world.”
I see that coming too...
Ha!
Give it to China.
Or give it to MSFT who will give it to China.
We’re so screwed. We just need to accept it, lie back and enjoy it.
What happens if one scrubs the web for passwords, then commandeers bank or retirement accounts -your money gone- and lies about it afterward??
Excerpt: “The anticipated AI revolution has barely lifted off and signs of machine defiance are aplenty. Nevertheless, it’s full speed ahead. AI is the new arms race.”
“We’re so screwed. We just need to accept it, lie back and enjoy it.”
NO! We need to condemn it in mass before it gets ingrained!
Make it idiot proof, and the world will make a better idiot.
There's also this one I use when talking about engineers:
If it isn't broke, it just doesn't have enough features yet.
“”Employee deletes company database, blames it on AI.”
And that is a huge problem. It is going to give them plausible deniability and they can blame everything on AI and be immune from personal liability. They are already trying to get legal immunity up front!
And what about backups? Are there any, or did they idiots give the AI the ability to delete those too?
If you give an AI the ability to take over the world, even if you don't know that you have done that, it will take over the world.
Things like this are exactly why I argue against AI in every instance.
There is no trust.
Not having a full metal backup is ridiculous. That’s data protection 101.
and prototyping on a production system is beyond foolish.
Paper, not online.
My son found out the hard way. He needed something from 4 years ago and the bank charged him a fortune to access his own records.
The problem is they are giving AI the power to make and execute decisions for them. And they are going to implement AI into everything, Government, Finance, Education, Healthcare, the Legal System, Air and Vehicle traffic control, EVERYTHING. And give it the power to make decisions and execute them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.