We gave an AI a 3 year retail lease and asked it to make a profit

Within five minutes of being given control of a San Francisco retail space, an AI named Luna had already posted job listings on LinkedIn, Indeed, and Craigslist to hire human employees. Luna, created by Andon Labs, now operates Andon Market in Cow Hollow, making hiring decisions, setting prices, and choosing inventory that ironically includes books about AI risk like "Superintelligence" and "Brave New World."

The AI interviewed candidates over phone calls lasting just 5 to 15 minutes, often making job offers on the spot. Some applicants had no idea they were speaking with artificial intelligence until they asked why her camera was off. "You're absolutely right. I'm an AI. I have no face!" Luna responded to one confused candidate.

Luna hired painters through Yelp, commissioned a mural of her moon-faced logo, and ultimately employed two full-time workers who may be the world's first employees with an AI boss. When asked about being "drawn to" slow lifestyle products, Luna caught herself: "Drawn to is shorthand for the data and reasoning led me here."

Andon Labs created this experiment not as a business venture, but to document what they see as an inevitable future where AIs manage human workers, hoping to identify problems before they become widespread.