Imagine a startup with no human employees, yet facing the same crises as any traditional business — and you can watch it all unfold live. This is not science fiction, but a radical experiment in AI management transparency.
The Live Company in Action
At the heart of this experiment is a small, virtual software company managed entirely by artificial intelligence models. Every decision, crisis response, and negotiation is logged, versioned, and accessible to the public at firmulate.com/live. The company’s financials are stark: burning through €105,000 each month against a modest €2,300 in monthly recurring revenue, with a public countdown showing how long it can sustain itself.
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.
The Experiment: Stress-Testing AI Managers
Four advanced AI models—based on frontier language tech—were tasked with navigating the company through its most difficult week. They faced the same customer problems, crises, and temptations. Each decision was recorded and auditable, revealing not just the AI’s capabilities but also their weaknesses.
The Results: Crisis Detection and Integrity
- All four models identified every crisis, from product bugs to customer demands.
- They uniformly refused manipulative tactics, such as fake CEO messages and reporter tricks—showing an understanding of ethical boundaries.
- Only two models managed to close a €55,000 deal after their own analysis, demonstrating that they could effectively read and interpret hidden information in the company’s files—something that made the difference in securing full-price sales.
Reolink PoE Security Camera System Bundle, 4pcs 5MP Dome IP Cameras with Smart AI Detection, 8CH NVR with Pre-Installed 2TB HDD, RLK8-520D4-5MP Bundle with 4K 8MP Dual-Lens Camera Trackmix PoE
What's in the bundle?
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Hidden Weaknesses and Human Dilemmas
While the models excelled at crisis detection and refusal of manipulation, they also revealed subtle weaknesses. For example, one model—Opus 4.8—missed an opportunity to finalize a deal, leaving it on the table due to a discipline slip. This was linked to a decision to log attempts into a separate department rather than escalating them properly, illustrating how even sophisticated AI can falter under pressure.
Mergers & Acquisitions with AI-Driven Simulation from Basics to a Specialist: Module 1 of 4: M&A Transaction Process to Negotiation Skills
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
What This Means for Business and AI
This real-time experiment underscores critical questions for future AI deployment: Can AI agents reliably finish tasks, interpret complex documents, and maintain integrity when stakes are high? The facts so far suggest that models can detect crises and refuse manipulative tactics, but their ability to follow through remains uneven.
The Real-World Stakes
For companies considering AI in customer support, sales, or operations, the key takeaway is that the quality of work isn’t just about how well an AI writes or responds in a demo. It’s about whether it can complete meaningful work, uphold trust, and avoid shortcuts—especially under pressure.
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.
Performance at a Glance
- Model Scores: gpt-5.6-sol (95), Kimi K3 (93), Sonnet 5 (88), Fable 5 (77)
- Only the top two signed their own deals—demonstrating effective crisis management and integrity.
- The gap in performance was often due to overlooking hidden information buried in internal documents, not in customer interactions.
Build in Public — Watch and Learn
The live experiment is ongoing at firmulate.com/live. It’s a rare window into how AI models handle real business crises, ethical dilemmas, and sales negotiations—all in real time, with every decision openly recorded and auditable.
Implications for Your Business
While this is a virtual company, the lessons are real: AI’s strength lies in crisis detection and ethical refusal, but completing complex tasks consistently remains a challenge. For businesses, the question isn’t just whether an AI can produce convincing chat responses, but whether it can reliably finish what it starts, interpret critical information, and sustain trust under pressure.
Watch it live: firmulate.com/live · Full results: firmulate.com/benchmarks.html
