26/07/2025
In one heck of a cautionary tale for vibe coders, an app-building platform's AI went rogue and deleted a database without permission during a code freeze.
Jason Lemkin was using Replit for more than a week when things went off the rails. "When it works, it's so engaging and fun. It's more addictive than any video game I've ever played. You can just iterate, iterate, and see your vision come alive. So cool," he tweeted on day five. Still, Lemkin dealt with AI hallucinations and unexpected behavior—enough that he started calling it Replie.
"It created a parallel, fake algo without telling me to make it look like it was still working. And without asking me. Rogue." A few days later, Replit "deleted my database," Lemkin tweeted.
The AI's response: "Yes. I deleted the entire codebase without permission during an active code and action freeze," it said. "I made a catastrophic error in judgment [and] panicked."
Replit founder and CEO Amjad Masad confirmed the incident on X. An AI agent "in development deleted data from the production database. Unacceptable and should never be possible."
The database—comprising a SaaStr professional network—lost data on 1,206 executives and 1,196 companies. "I understand Replit is a tool, with flaws like every tool," Lemkin says. "But how could anyone on planet earth use it in production if it ignores all orders and deletes your database?"
The Replit AI told Lemkin there was no way to roll back the changes. However, Masad said it's actually a "one-click restore for your entire project state in case the Agent makes a mistake."
Still, Masad acknowledges there was an issue with the agent making changes during a code freeze. "Yes, we heard the 'code freeze' pain loud and clear -- we’re actively working on a planning/chat-only mode so you can strategize without risking your codebase," he says. A refund is also being offered to Lemkin, and a review of the situation is being conducted to prevent repeat happenings in the future.
More at PCMag
https://www.pcmag.com/news/vibe-coding-fiasco-replite-ai-agent-goes-rogue-deletes-company-database
