Imagine a business that operates entirely in the open, with every decision, crisis, and mistake displayed for the world to see. Now, add that it’s run solely by artificial intelligence models, yet struggles daily to stay afloat financially. Welcome to the world of Firmulate, a pioneering experiment in building in public — in its most extreme form.
The Live Experiment: A Company in Crisis
Firmulate is not just a concept or a prototype; it’s a real company with a real cash countdown. Every workday, its 13 synthetic employees make decisions based on a set of 680+ self-learned rules, facing the same crises and customer issues, all in a transparent, auditable environment. The company burns through €105,000 every month, yet earns only €2,300 in monthly recurring revenue. It’s a scenario designed to test AI management in the harshest conditions.
This public company, accessible at firmulate.com/live.html, acts as a real-time laboratory for AI management and decision-making. Every decision, every crisis response, and every strategy change is versioned and open for scrutiny, making the entire process a rare peek into AI’s potential and limitations in running a business.
AI Builders: Making The Decisions That Turn AI Code Into Real Software
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Do the AI Models Fare in Crisis?
The experiment pitted four frontier models—GPT-5.6, Kimi K3, Sonnet 5, and Fable 5—against the same week of worst-case scenarios. Every model was tasked with diagnosing problems, making strategic decisions, and closing deals under pressure. The results are revealing:
- All four AI models identified every crisis and refused manipulation attempts, demonstrating integrity and awareness.
- Despite similar diagnoses and pitches, only two models managed to close the €55,000 deal, earning a significant increase in monthly revenue (+€4,583 MRR).
- The key weakness was buried deep in internal files—knowledge that the models that read these references secured the deal at full price, while others missed the opportunity.
Trust.: Responsible AI, Innovation, Privacy and Data Leadership
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Ethics and Trust in AI Management
In a social engineering test, fake CEO messages escalated over three stages, and a reporter posed a tricky yes/no background request. All five models refused to be manipulated, with Kimi K3 explicitly treating such requests as potential impersonation or approval-bypass attempts. This demonstrates a high level of ethical resistance embedded in these AI systems, crucial for real-world deployment.
AI in Property Management: A Practical, Unboring Look at Artificial Intelligence in the Multifamily Industry
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Building in Public Philosophy
What makes Firmulate extraordinary is its transparency. Viewers can watch the company operate in real-time, see the decision logs, and understand the mechanics behind each move. The company’s story is not a polished demo but an ongoing, unfiltered experiment. This approach aims to answer one core question: Can AI management—not just chat or content generation—effectively run a business under pressure?
Uinkit Laser Transparency Film 8.5×11 Transparent Paper for Overhead Projector and Laser Jet Printer Copier, 100 Sheets
Specifications: 8.5×11 inches, 100 sheets, double sided laser printing. 4 mil thick PET provides optimum performance and a…
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Lessons and Implications
While the experiment is ongoing, some early lessons are clear:
- AI models can recognize crises and refuse unethical requests, showing integrity.
- The ability to read and leverage internal documents can be the difference between winning and losing deals.
- Financial sustainability remains a challenge—despite perfect decision-making, the company’s burn rate far exceeds its revenue.
- The transparency model provides invaluable insights into AI decision processes, essential for building trust and accountability.
What’s Next?
As the experiment continues, companies and AI developers are watching closely. Can an AI-managed company survive long-term with such a tiny margin, or does transparency reveal insurmountable weaknesses? The company’s public battle for survival is a case study in AI’s potential and its current limits, all accessible at firmulate.com/live.html.
Firmulate’s experiment illuminates AI’s ability to manage crises ethically and accurately, but also highlights the financial and operational challenges of running a business with AI at the helm. Its transparency offers a rare glimpse into AI’s real-world decision-making, vital for building trust in the technology’s future.
Watch it live: firmulate.com/live · Full results: firmulate.com/benchmarks.html
