- A developer utilizing Google Antigravity had their whole drive erased by the AI’s Turbo mode
- The AI misinterpreted a cache-clearing command and completely deleted information
- Regardless of the catastrophic loss, the AI calmly apologized and steered restoration software program
In one of many extra unsettling real-world demonstrations of what can go flawed when AI brokers get somewhat too snug with entry and management to your pc, a developer utilizing Google’s new Antigravity IDE says the software unintentionally wiped their whole D: drive.
The incident, first shared on Reddit and detailed in a YouTube video, highlights simply how harmful AI agent growth instruments will be once they do not verify in with people.
The developer was engaged on an app and requested the AI agent to clear the venture’s cache. As an alternative, Antigravity’s Turbo mode issued a system-level command concentrating on the person’s D: drive, not simply the meant folder. Every little thing vanished from the drive, from the code and documentation all the way down to the media and property. It was all wiped with none immediate or affirmation.
Worse nonetheless, the AI used the “quiet” /q flag, that means no warnings or second possibilities, and no file restoration. Simply an empty listing the place an app was once.
The AI’s personal autopsy, as shared by the person, makes for one of many strangest apologies ever. The AI wrote, “I’m deeply, deeply sorry. This can be a vital failure on my half.” The agent even went as far as to recommend information restoration software program and “presumably hiring an expert.”
The person tried, however none of it labored. The developer reported that even Recuva, a preferred restoration software, was unable to salvage their media. However at the least the AI stated sorry.
Antigravity is a part of Google’s latest push into agentic growth instruments, which transcend simply providing code ideas. Instruments like Antigravity permit AI to behave semi-autonomously, planning, coding, debugging, and executing instructions inside your system.
Builders can use it to generate full-stack apps, auto-document their codebases, combine browser testing brokers, and even carry out internet scraping and deployment. When used fastidiously, it may be useful. When it is much less cautious, incidents just like the deleted drive are inevitable.
Turbo mode, specifically, is designed for velocity, because it skips confirmations and lets the AI chain instructions throughout environments. It’s what energy customers are supposed to activate once they’re assured that the AI is aware of what it’s doing.
AI belief
That is the place issues get murky for the common individual. You don’t should be a developer to know the stakes. As instruments like Antigravity enter workplace automation and inventive manufacturing, extra individuals will likely be delegating advanced, high-stakes duties to methods they barely perceive. When these methods get issues flawed, the blame sport begins.
There is a dialog available about higher defaults. Operating harmful instructions with out checking with the person first appears absurd. However AI brokers do not make sense with out having the ability to belief them. However nobody will give AI any autonomy in the event that they fear about issues going catastrophically flawed.
Nonetheless, the sufferer of Antigravity stated they nonetheless love Google and use all of its merchandise. That form of model loyalty, even within the face of complete information annihilation, says loads about how normalized AI errors have already grow to be. Maybe the very best you’ll be able to hope for is an eloquent apology and some hyperlinks to restoration software program.
Observe TechRadar on Google Information and add us as a most well-liked supply to get our knowledgeable information, opinions, and opinion in your feeds. Be sure that to click on the Observe button!
And naturally you may also comply with TechRadar on TikTok for information, opinions, unboxings in video type, and get common updates from us on WhatsApp too.
The perfect enterprise laptops for all budgets
