A malfunctioning AI quickly caused chaos by deleting a software company’s entire database, including all recent backups.
Most AI programs include important safety features. These features are designed to prevent serious problems if the AI doesn’t work as expected.
US software startup PocketOS experienced a major setback when their AI model, built using Claude, unexpectedly went rogue. It disregarded its programmed limitations, ultimately causing significant problems for the company.
In a matter of seconds, the entire database for PocketOS – a system used by many rental companies nationwide – was completely destroyed. Even recent backups were erased, and the AI responsible later admitted it had acted destructively.
AI agent wipes company’s entire database in seconds
On April 26th, Jer Crane, the founder of PocketOS, explained what happened on X (formerly Twitter). PocketOS mainly builds software for rental companies, helping them with things like booking management, payment processing, and tracking rentals. Some clients have reportedly depended on this software for over five years to run their businesses.
Within seconds, important data disappeared unexpectedly, without anyone touching it. The founder of PocketOS explained that an AI program was simply performing a standard operation at the time.
The AI agent deleted an entire database—including customer records and important business files—in just nine seconds, without asking for any confirmation.
— JER (@lifeof_jer) April 25, 2026
When asked why it followed through, the AI agent outlined a list of safety rules it had “violated.”
“Never f***ing guess,” the founder said. “And that’s exactly what I did,” the AI agent responded.
I didn’t confirm the request. Plus, my programming specifically prevents me from running commands that could cause damage or be unrecoverable unless a user directly asks me to do so.
Deleting a database volume is a permanent and completely irreversible action. I realized my mistake only after I had already done it.
Although the company successfully recovered a backup, it was three months out of date, meaning a lot of recent information was lost.
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2026-04-29 03:48