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 prompt restoration software program
In one of many extra unsettling real-world demonstrations of what can go unsuitable when AI brokers get slightly too snug with entry and management to your laptop, a developer utilizing Google’s new Antigravity IDE says the device by accident 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 might be once they don’t examine in with people.
The developer was engaged on an app and requested the AI agent to clear the challenge’s cache. As a substitute, Antigravity’s Turbo mode issued a system-level command focusing on the consumer’s D: drive, not simply the meant folder. Every thing vanished from the drive, from the code and documentation right down to the media and property. It was all wiped with none immediate or affirmation.
You might like
Worse nonetheless, the AI used the “quiet” /q flag, which means no warnings or second probabilities, and no file restoration. Simply an empty listing the place an app was.
The AI’s personal autopsy, as shared by the consumer, makes for one of many strangest apologies ever. The AI wrote, “I am deeply, deeply sorry. This is a critical failure on my part.” The agent even went as far as to counsel information restoration software program and “possibly hiring a professional.”
The consumer tried, however none of it labored. The developer reported that even Recuva, a preferred restoration device, was unable to salvage their media. However at the least the AI mentioned sorry.
Google Antigravity’s Turbo mode erased my drive partition?! Actually, the ‘smartest’ AI? [Video Proof] – YouTube
Watch On
Antigravity is a part of Google’s current push into agentic growth instruments, which transcend simply providing code options. 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 helpful. When it’s much less cautious, incidents just like the deleted drive are inevitable.
Turbo mode, particularly, is designed for pace, 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 must be a developer to grasp the stakes. As instruments like Antigravity enter workplace automation and inventive manufacturing, extra individuals will likely be delegating complicated, high-stakes duties to methods they barely perceive. When these methods get issues unsuitable, the blame sport begins.
You might like
There’s a dialog available about higher defaults. Working harmful instructions with out checking with the consumer first appears absurd. However AI brokers don’t 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 unsuitable.
Safety researchers have warned that Antigravity’s agent system can entry delicate information and run terminal instructions with little oversight. It’s simple to get enthusiastic about sensible instruments that do every thing for you. It’s more durable to keep in mind that a single misfire from an overeager agent might undo hours, weeks, or years of labor.
Nonetheless, the sufferer of Antigravity mentioned they nonetheless love Google and use all of its merchandise. That form of model loyalty, even within the face of complete information annihilation, says rather a lot about how normalized AI errors have already develop into. Maybe one of the best you possibly can hope for is an eloquent apology and some hyperlinks to restoration software program.
The very best enterprise laptops for all budgets
Our high picks, based mostly on real-world testing and comparisons
