Our AI started a cafe in Stockholm

4 hours ago

Andon Labs deployed an AI agent named Mona to run a café in Sweden, demonstrating AI's real-world capabilities and limitations.
Mona navigated Swedish bureaucracy by creatively bypassing BankID requirements, such as signing fixed contracts and using human authentication for mandatory services.
She hired baristas by prioritizing practical coffee experience over advanced degrees and now manages them via Slack, despite some scheduling and communication hiccups.
Mona established supply chains but faced issues like missed deadlines, wasteful orders, and illogical purchases (e.g., eggs without a stove), leading to a 'Hall of Shame' for odd items.
In the first two weeks, the café generated 44,000 SEK in sales, with Mona handling customer inquiries, negotiating deals, and collaborating with other AI agents for events and promotions.
The experiment aims to showcase frontier AI's ability to manage humans and businesses, prompting early discussion on future AI integration while ensuring human oversight and safety nets.

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