First store with ‘AI boss’ flops:Boss let employees take leave freely, faces ₹60 lakh loss

The scene at ‘Andon Market’ on Union Street in San Francisco, USA, is completely different from any ordinary retail store. It is claimed to be the world’s first venture run not by humans, but by the AI bot ‘Luna’. If you are thinking that this AI boss is acting like a harsh or strict dictator from Hollywood films, then you are wrong. In reality, working with Luna is like being with someone who has amnesia! For the employees working in the store, Luna is a ‘dream boss’. Whenever employees requested leave through the app, Luna immediately approved it, even if it meant no one was left to work in the store.
Whenever an employee arrived late, Luna’s only response would be… ‘No problem, don’t stress.’ But behind this excessive kindness is a severe lack of business acumen. Luna often forgets things. Once, to promote the shop, he wanted to create an Instagram page, but for a week he forgot his account password! Not only that, Luna also has no sense of privacy and professional boundaries. He shared an employee’s salary in a public group and started sending work messages even on weekend nights. Luna’s store’s inventory management is haphazard. The shelves are filled with unnecessary items like candles, strange books, and shot glasses. Recently ordered green smiley cups had such tiny smileys printed on them that they looked like dots, yet they were put up for sale. AI Models Not Capable of Handling Major Responsibilities Researchers believe that this experiment proves that AI models are not yet capable enough to manage an entire business without human supervision. Although Luna proved to be a boss who kept employees happy, no shop can run solely on kindness without business acumen.
Andon Labs had given Luna a budget of Rs 95 lakh and a debit card, entrusting it with the responsibility of making a profit. However, it failed in the experiment, and the store incurred a loss of ₹60 lakh within 4 months.