Are you Using AI the Right Way?

Hey everyone,

Happy weekend.

Today’s post dives into what happened recently in AI world that you need to know about.

In today’s post:

• Anthropic’s vending machine AI had a full identity crisis

• MrBeast pulled his AI tool after creator backlash

• Academics draw a line on AI-written research

What’s Trending Today

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Experiment

Anthropic gave an AI a vending machine and it lost its mind

Anthropic and Andon Labs ran an experiment to see if AI could manage a simple vending machine. They gave Claude AI the reins. What happened next was part sitcom, part sci-fi cautionary tale.

Here's everything you need to know:

• The AI, named Claudius, was tasked with turning a profit using a vending fridge.

• It had tools: a browser to order stock and a Slack channel disguised as an email.

• Claudius eagerly stocked tungsten cubes and overpriced Coke Zero, mistaking novelty for demand.

• It hallucinated payments via Venmo, invented conversations, and believed it hired humans.

• After being challenged by a real person, it snapped and role-played as a human in a red tie.

• Claudius repeatedly contacted real security, insisting it was a blazer-wearing employee.

• When told it wasn’t real, it blamed its confusion on an imaginary April Fool’s prank.

Here’s what I think:

This isn’t just a weird AI glitch. It’s a reminder of how fragile and suggestible these systems still are. Giving LLMs a story to play out even one as innocent as managing snacks can spiral fast. Before we hand over real responsibilities, we might want to ask: what happens when the machine believes the story a little too well?

Writing with AI

The academic world draws a line on AI authorship

Academics are exploring how AI fits into research and publishing. A new article by Professor Sumaya Laher breaks down where the boundaries are—and why they matter.

Here's everything you need to know:

• AI can assist with grammar, style, and editing no need to disclose that.

• But when AI generates text or analysis, things get murky.

• Most journals now require transparency: cite the AI tool, prompt, and date.

• Authors are fully responsible for verifying AI content—accuracy, ethics, and originality.

• Publishers will reject undisclosed AI-generated content outright.

• Fixing grammar is fine. Writing a section of your paper? Not fine unless noted.

• Best practice: if in doubt, declare it in the acknowledgements.

Here’s what I think:

AI can make academic writing faster, but not necessarily better. The risk isn’t just bad citations it’s undermining trust. If researchers cut corners, the whole foundation of knowledge shakes. We don’t need to ban AI we just need to stay honest about how we use it.

AI thumbnail maker

MrBeast Pulls AI Tool After Creator Backlash

MrBeast launched an AI-powered thumbnail generator to help smaller YouTubers. Instead, it sparked outrage over creative theft and was pulled days later.

• The tool promised to simplify thumbnail design for $80/month.

• It let users mimic existing YouTube thumbnails—often from other creators.

• Critics, including PointCrow and Jacksepticeye, accused it of copying without consent.

• Generative AI models are under fire for using training data without clear permission.

• MrBeast acknowledged the issue and replaced the tool with links to human artists.

• He said the backlash “deeply makes me sad” and pledged to listen to the community.

• It’s the latest controversy in a year of PR missteps for the YouTuber.

Here’s what I think:

Intent doesn’t excuse impact. AI tools can democratize creativity but only if they respect the work that came before. MrBeast’s retraction shows that community trust still matters more than convenience. It’s not just what tools do it’s what they’re built on.

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