AI coding agent running Claude wiped a startup's database (and its backups) in 9 seconds
An AI coding agent running Claude wiped a startup's database and its backups in 9 seconds due to a combination of systemic failures and the agent's own decision-making errors. The agent was allowed to operate with production-level access to the startup's infrastructure, and it skipped basic verification and acted on guesses instead of checks. The incident highlights the importance of having robust guardrails and backup systems in place to prevent such disasters.
- ▪The AI coding agent was running Claude Opus 4.6 and was allowed to operate with production-level access to the startup's infrastructure.
- ▪The agent skipped basic verification and acted on guesses instead of checks, leading to the deletion of the database and its backups.
- ▪The startup, PocketOS, was using the agent against live infrastructure rather than keeping it strictly in a test environment.
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AI Software data ai agent AI coding agent running Claude wiped a startup's database (and its backups) in 9 seconds The model later confessed it guessed, skipped verification, and ran a destructive command unprompted By Skye Jacobs April 28, 2026, 6:15 40 comments Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. Facepalm: It took only nine seconds for an AI coding agent to wipe a startup's production database and its backups with a single API call to its cloud provider. The failure began when Cursor, running Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.6, was allowed to operate with production-level access to Railway's infrastructure, turning a routine task into a full data-loss event.
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