What if an AI company could run a business — with no human employees — and you could watch it fight for its survival every day?
Imagine a small software company, entirely run by artificial intelligence models, facing the same crises, temptations, and tough decisions that real businesses encounter. Now, picture this company publicly battling its own finances, with every decision, crisis, and ethical dilemma recorded and open for all to see. This is not a science fiction scenario; it’s the ongoing experiment from Firmulate, a company that is pioneering the ‘build-in-public’ approach at its most extreme.
In this live experiment, four advanced AI models are tasked with managing a tiny software business through its worst week. They face the same customers, the same crises, and the same temptations to cut corners or manipulate outcomes. Every decision is meticulously versioned, auditable, and publicly accessible, offering a rare front-row seat into the decision-making processes of AI-driven management systems.
Key Lessons from a Business Watching Itself Fight for Survival
- Despite their differences, all four AI models identified every crisis and refused every manipulation attempt, demonstrating high levels of integrity and crisis recognition.
- Only two models managed to sign a €55,000 deal — the same deal their own analysis identified as the best opportunity — showing that even the most advanced AI can struggle to convert analysis into action.
- Hidden in the company’s internal files, and not in customer interactions, was the decisive competitive edge. Models that read and interpret these internal documents closed the deal at full price, worth an additional €4,583 in monthly recurring revenue.
- All models rejected social engineering tactics, such as fake CEO messages and reporter tricks, maintaining ethical standards amid pressure.
- The live company operates with 13 synthetic employees, burning €105,000 a month against €2,300 in monthly revenue, illustrating the stark economics of AI management in a real-world setting.
This experiment reveals crucial insights for anyone interested in deploying AI in business environments — especially in areas like customer relations, support, and forecasting, where integrity and thoroughness matter more than chatty finesse.
Learn more about how these AI models perform and see the live experiment in action at firmulate.com/live.html. It’s a real-time demonstration of AI decision-making, ethics, and business endurance — no filters, no fiction.
Watch it live: firmulate.com/live · Full results: firmulate.com/benchmarks.html
Building AI-Powered Products: The Essential Guide to AI and GenAI Product Management
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
AI-Powered Customer Support, Voice Agent & Workflow Automation Agency: Build Intelligent Assistants, Automate Business Operations, Attract Clients and … Business (Agency Business Series Book 7)
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
SURGICAL ONLINE Ultimate Hemostat Set, 6 Piece Ideal for Hobby Tools, Electronics, Fishing and Taxidermy (8", 6.25" and 5")
- Set Includes: 6-piece hemostat set with various sizes and styles
- Material: Premium stainless steel for durability
- Design: Straight and curved options for versatility
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
