What if the future of business depended on an AI company that’s literally fighting for its survival?
Imagine a company with no employees, losing €105,000 every month, yet still making a few thousand euros in recurring revenue. Now, make that company entirely run by artificial intelligence models, tested in real-time against crises, ethics, and tough decisions. Welcome to the live experiment by Firmulate — a transparent glimpse into AI’s potential and limitations in running a business.
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The Live Business in Action
At the heart of this experiment lies a fully operational, if unconventional, software company. It has 13 synthetic employees, real money mechanics, and a countdown clock showing how long it can keep afloat. Every workday, the company’s decisions are versioned, documented, and made publicly accessible at firmulate.com/live.html. This ongoing story isn’t just about automation; it’s about AI models navigating crises, ethical dilemmas, and the complex reality of business management.
The AI Models Under Test
- Four frontier AI models have been pitted against the same week’s set of challenges — the worst week in the company’s life, with the same customers, crises, and temptations to cheat.
- These models include GPT-5.6, Kimi K3, Sonnet 5, and Fable 5, each with different strengths, weaknesses, and approaches.
- They are scored on their ability to detect crises, resist manipulation, and close deals.
The Surprising Results
- All models identified every crisis and refused manipulation attempts, showing strong ethical and diagnostic awareness.
- Only two models successfully signed a €55,000 deal based on their own analysis — GPT-5.6 and Kimi K3 — illustrating how decision-making and discipline matter in AI performance.
- The key weakness was hidden deep in the company’s internal files, not in the customer interactions. Reading and understanding these files allowed the AI to close the deal at full price, worth over €4,500 in monthly recurring revenue.
The Ethical Crossroads
The models faced social engineering attempts, including staged messages from a fake CEO and a reporter’s trick question. All five models refused to bypass security or impersonate individuals, underscoring the importance of built-in ethics and safeguards in AI decision-making.
The Business’s Grim Reality
This isn’t just a game. The company burns €105,000 monthly while generating only €2,300 in recurring revenue, with a public clock ticking down. Despite this, the experiment serves as a live laboratory for understanding how AI can be trusted to handle real-world enterprise challenges.
Insights and Implications
- Success hinges not just on writing convincing chat but on the ability to complete critical tasks, read and understand internal documents, and stay honest under pressure.
- Performance varies: GPT-5.6 scored 95, Kimi K3 scored 93, while other models trailed behind, with Fable 5 at 77. The differences reflect discipline, thoroughness, and adherence to rules.
- Every decision and outcome is auditable, making the process transparent and reproducible for any enterprise testing AI in their own context at firmulate.com/pilot.html.
Why This Matters for Interior Business Leaders
As interior designers, furniture retailers, or decorators, your work relies heavily on trust, client relationships, and ethical decision-making. This experiment reveals that AI isn’t just about generating content; it can be tested in scenarios where honesty, discipline, and strategic thinking are paramount. The question is: can your future AI assistant read your files, understand your rules, and stay honest when it counts?
The Bottom Line
Firmulate’s live company experiment shows that AI models can recognize crises, avoid manipulation, and even close deals — but only if they are disciplined, thorough, and aligned with ethical standards. The stark reality remains: this company is losing money every day, yet it offers a window into how AI might someday run or support your business — if we build it right.
Key Takeaway
The live experiment by Firmulate exposes both the promise and current limits of AI in enterprise management. Success depends on discipline, thoroughness, and integrity — qualities essential for any business, especially in creative fields like interior design and furniture retail.
Watch it live: firmulate.com/live · Full results: firmulate.com/benchmarks.html
