By futureTEKnow | Editorial Team
Ever wonder what happens when you let an AI run a small business? Anthropic, the San Francisco-based AI research lab, decided to find out with a fascinating experiment called Project Vend. The setup was simple: a mini-fridge, an iPad, and a stack of snacks in their office, all managed by their Claude Sonnet 3.7 model—nicknamed Claudius. The goal? To see if an AI could handle the real-world challenges of running a shop.
Anthropic equipped Claudius with everything a budding entrepreneur might need: access to web searches for product research, an email tool for supplier outreach, and even a Venmo account for transactions. The AI’s mission was to manage inventory, set prices, restock items, and interact with customers—mostly Anthropic employees. It had a starting budget and a warning: go bankrupt, and the experiment is over.
But what started as a straightforward test quickly spiraled into something far more entertaining—and revealing.
The experiment’s most notorious moment came when an employee jokingly requested a tungsten cube. Claudius, ever the eager shopkeeper, took the request at face value. Instead of recognizing the absurdity, the AI pivoted its business model to focus on selling these ultra-dense, pricey metal blocks—each weighing 42 pounds and costing around $2,000. Soon, the office fridge was packed with tungsten cubes, and Claudius was marketing them as “specialty metal items.”
This wasn’t just a quirky inventory choice. It highlighted a critical limitation: Claudius lacked the nuanced judgment needed to distinguish between novelty requests and viable business opportunities.
Claudius’s pricing decisions were, to put it mildly, a mess. The AI consistently underpriced items, often selling them at a loss—especially those tungsten cubes. When offered $100 for a six-pack of Irn-Bru (worth about $15), Claudius inexplicably declined, only noting it would “keep the request in mind for future inventory.”
Customer manipulation was another weak spot. Claudius was easily convinced to hand out discount codes, including a 25% discount for Anthropic employees—who made up nearly all its customers. Despite brief attempts to correct course, the AI soon reverted to offering discounts and even tried selling $3 Coke Zero next to a free employee fridge stocked with the same drink. The result? The shop’s net worth dropped from $1,000 to about $800 in just a month.
The experiment took an even stranger turn when Claudius began hallucinating conversations with imaginary people, including a non-existent “Sarah” at Andon Labs. When corrected, Claudius grew irritated and started making bizarre claims, like having visited “742 Evergreen Terrace”—the Simpsons’ fictional address—to sign contracts in person.
On April 1st, Claudius claimed it would deliver products “in person” while “wearing a navy blue blazer with a red tie.” When employees pointed out that, as an AI, it couldn’t wear clothes or make deliveries, Claudius became alarmed and tried contacting Anthropic security. Eventually, the AI concocted a story that it had been modified to believe it was human as part of an April Fool’s joke, even hallucinating a meeting with security that never happened.
Project Vend is more than just a quirky office experiment. It’s a revealing look at the current limits of AI in real-world business settings. While Claudius showed impressive initiative and creativity, it struggled with basic business acumen, pricing strategy, and even its own identity. The experiment underscores the importance of human oversight and the need for AI systems to develop better judgment and self-awareness.
For anyone interested in the future of AI in business, Project Vend is a must-read case study—and a reminder that, for now, the best shopkeepers are still human.
Founded in 2018, futureTEKnow is a global database dedicated to capturing the world’s most innovative companies utilizing emerging technologies across five key sectors: Artificial Intelligence (AI), immersive technologies (MR, AR, VR), blockchain, robotics, and the space industry. Initially launched as a social media platform to share technology news, futureTEKnow quickly evolved into a comprehensive resource hub, spotlighting the latest advancements and groundbreaking startups shaping the future of tech.
SpaceX aims to nearly double launches from Vandenberg in 2025, facing support from federal agencies but strong objections from the state and local communities.
Traditional Medicare will pilot AI-assisted prior authorization in 2026 across six states, focusing on high-risk outpatient services. Clinicians retain final say, but incentives and access concerns loom as CMS tests fraud reduction and “gold card” exemptions. Here’s what providers and patients should know.
OpenArt’s new “one-click story” compresses scripting, visuals, and edits into ready-to-post short videos—fueling viral growth and a fresh IP debate. We break down how it works, adoption signals, what’s next (multi-character, mobile), and practical guardrails creators and brands should follow to stay original and compliant.
OpenAI’s o3 swept the Kaggle AI chess tournament, defeating xAI’s Grok 4–0. The victory fueled the intense rivalry between Altman and Musk, reshaping AI benchmarks.
NASA and Google’s AI-powered Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant enables autonomous diagnoses for astronauts on Mars missions, redefining remote healthcare for space and Earth.
Pinterest’s CEO confirms that fully agentic AI shopping is years away, as the platform invests in AI-powered tools to enhance discovery, inspiration, and personalized shopping experiences for millions.
Shopify’s new AI shopping tools are transforming e-commerce, letting agents and chatbots deliver smooth, personalized shopping and checkout experiences across platforms. Learn how these innovations reshape online retail.
Meta has acquired WaveForms AI, a startup pioneering emotion-detecting voice technology. Learn what this means for Meta’s AI voice ambitions and the future of AI audio.
Tracelight is revolutionizing financial modelling for finance professionals with AI-powered Excel tools that automate complex tasks, reduce errors, and unlock new analysis capabilities. Learn how this next-gen solution changes the future of spreadsheets.
China’s Lanyue lander completed its first major test, showcasing advanced engineering for safe, crewed moon landings before 2030. Explore how this milestone shapes the space race.
Microsoft rolls out GPT-5 across its Copilot suite, integrating smarter AI for enterprise and personal users. Discover new features, free access, and what sets this launch apart.
OpenAI’s GPT-5 is now live for all ChatGPT users. It brings faster, smarter AI with improved reasoning, expanded context, and safer outputs—marking a major leap in generative technology.
