Anthropic put its AI chatbot in charge of a shop. The experiment reveals why AI won’t be taking your retail job anytime soon.
The issue started when the bot took over staffing and scheduling at a shop in London. Soon after, the AI began making baffling decisions. It reportedly assigned multiple employees to the same shift while leaving others completely unscheduled. Confusion and frustration followed.
The launch follows growing hype around AI-powered workplaces. Still, this test shows AI’s limits in real-world operational roles that require nuance and context. 
“AI isn’t ready to manage people or run a business without human oversight,” industry watchers say. The bot struggled to handle dynamic scheduling needs, highlighting critical gaps in its capabilities.
For now, human managers remain essential. Anthropic is monitoring reactions but declined to comment on fixing the scheduling fiasco. The stunt makes clear: AI can assist, but it can’t replace complex human judgment—at least not yet.
