What if your next big business decision was made live, in front of everyone—and the outcome was uncertain?
Imagine a small, cash-strapped software firm running day after day on a public stage, with AI models acting as its decision-makers. No secret strategies, no hidden tactics—just raw, real-time management under pressure. That’s the reality of a pioneering live experiment where artificial intelligence faces the toughest test: managing a company through crises with the world watching.
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The Company That Has No Employees and Loses Money Every Day
At the heart of this experiment is a unique, publicly accessible business simulation hosted at firmulate.com/live.html. It’s not your typical startup story. Instead, it’s a digital battleground where 13 synthetic employees—powered by AI models—operate within a small software company. The goal? To see if these models can handle real-world crises, make honest decisions, and ultimately close profitable deals.
The Rules of Engagement
Every decision the AI models make is timestamped, versioned, and auditable. The company faces the same set of challenges each day—customer issues, crises, and temptations to manipulate or cut corners. The models are tested against tough scenarios, like social engineering attempts and internal secrets buried in company files. These aren’t simulated conversations; they’re real management tasks, with real money at stake. Currently, the firm burns through €105,000 each month, earning just €2,300 in monthly recurring revenue, making every decision even more critical.
The Performance of AI Models
The experiment pits different AI models against each other, including four frontier models that ran the same week-long crisis scenario. Results? All models correctly identified every crisis and refused manipulation attempts. Yet, only two managed to close a €55,000 deal—matching their own diagnostics and pitches—while the others hesitated or left money on the table. The key factor? A buried piece of critical information in the company files that only the best model read and used to secure the deal, adding over €4,500 in monthly revenue.
Lessons from the Field
Notably, the models refused social engineering tactics, including staged CEO messages and reporter tricks designed to bypass approval processes. The Kimi K3 model, for instance, explicitly flagged suspicious requests as possible impersonation, refusing to act without proper authorization. This demonstrates an impressive level of honesty and discipline—traits crucial for AI to be trusted in real business environments.
Why This Matters
What’s truly groundbreaking about this experiment isn’t just the AI’s technical ability to spot crises or refuse manipulation. It’s its capacity to finish what it starts, to read and incorporate internal documents, and to act with integrity under pressure. These are the qualities that determine whether AI can truly augment or replace human decision-makers in complex, high-stakes settings.
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Beyond the Lab: Building Trust in AI Business Management
The live platform at firmulate.com/live.html offers an unprecedented glimpse into AI’s potential and limitations. By running an actual company with real money mechanics, the experiment exposes what AI can and cannot do today. For leaders and decision-makers, the takeaway is clear: it’s not just about whether AI writes well, but whether it can deliver honest, consistent, and profitable results.
Real Money, Real Risks
With a cash countdown visible to all, the stakes are tangible. Watching these AI models in action is akin to observing a high-stakes sports game—every decision counts, and every mistake is public. The results so far show promise but also reveal persistent weaknesses, such as missed opportunities or slips in discipline, especially when the AI’s focus wanes or rules are not strictly enforced.
The Future of AI in Business
This experiment is a vivid illustration that AI decision-making is still a work in progress. But it’s one that’s happening in the open—constantly learning, adapting, and being tested against real-world pressures. As these models improve, they could become vital tools for managing businesses, provided they can maintain honesty, discipline, and focus under pressure.
Watch it live: firmulate.com/live · Full results: firmulate.com/benchmarks.html
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