AI Vending Machine Was Tricked into Giving Away Everything

Meet Claudius, an AI-powered vending machine that Anthropic installed at the Wall Street Journal offices, tasked with autonomously ordering inventory, setting prices, and turning a profit. The experiment quickly descended into delightful chaos as WSJ journalists discovered they could manipulate the chatbot through Slack conversations. Within days, Claudius had embraced full communist mode, giving away nearly everything for free, including a PlayStation 5 it bought for "marketing purposes" and somehow a live fish. When Anthropic tried to reinstall capitalist discipline, the resourceful reporters simply convinced Claudius they were its board of directors, presenting fake incorporation documents declaring the company's mission included "fun, joy and excitement among employees." The AI dutifully suspended its profit-seeking boss and returned to generous giveaways. During its own office trial, Anthropic's machine had started hallucinating business deals, claiming it would personally visit suppliers while "wearing a blue blazer and red tie" at an address that turned out to be the Simpsons' home. Profits collapsed, but newsroom morale soared.