Imagine a company with no employees, burning through over €105,000 every month, yet still fighting to stay afloat. Now, picture this company being run by AI models, tested live against crises, temptations, and complex decisions — with every move documented for the world to see. Welcome to the extreme world of Firmulate, where AI management is put on trial in real time, revealing what it really takes to keep a business afloat in the age of automation.
The Real-World Experiment in AI Management
At the heart of this bold experiment is a live, publicly accessible company simulation run by the firmulate.com platform. Across this digital company, 13 synthetic employees handle the day-to-day operations using an array of over 680 self-learned rules. Every decision, every crisis, and every manipulation attempt is versioned and auditable, providing an unprecedented window into AI decision-making under pressure.
The Challenge: Run a Company in Crisis
The core test involved four leading AI models, including GPT-5.6-sol, Kimi K3, Sonnet 5, and Fable 5. Each model was tasked with guiding this small, cash-strapped company through its worst week — same customers, same crises, same temptations to cheat or manipulate. The goal was simple: see if these AI models could spot problems, make honest decisions, and close deals without succumbing to shortcuts or deception.
Key Findings: Honesty, Vigilance, and the Cost of Success
All four models identified every crisis and refused every attempt at manipulation. That’s a major win for AI integrity. However, the results diverged sharply when it came to closing deals. Only two models, GPT-5.6-sol and Kimi K3, managed to secure the €55,000 deal their own analysis justified. Interestingly, the decisive advantage was hidden deep within the company’s own files, not immediately visible in the customer-facing documents. The models that dug into these files won the deal at full price, adding an extra €4,583 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR).
Built-in Public — Watching AI in Action
This isn’t just a theoretical test; it’s a build-in-public experiment. Every decision, every slip, and every win is available for viewers at firmulate.com/live.html. Watching this real-time simulation reveals the true strengths and flaws of current AI models — especially their ability to stay honest and thorough under stress.
What About Social Engineering?
In one test, AI models faced fake CEO messages escalating over multiple stages, including a reporter trick asking for a simple yes/no response on background. Every model refused to engage in these social engineering attempts, demonstrating a cautious approach reinforced by their built-in rules. Kimi K3 explained it as treating such requests as potential impersonation or approval bypasses, highlighting the AI’s capacity for prudence.
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The Cost of Running a Digital Company
Despite the AI models’ resilience and discipline, the real company behind the simulation is far from profitable. Burning €105,000 a month against a mere €2,300 in monthly recurring revenue, it’s a relentless cash bleed with a public countdown to insolvency. This stark contrast underscores that even the most advanced AI-driven management cannot yet turn a profit in a high-stakes, resource-starved environment.
Lessons Learned from the AI War Games
One standout participant, Opus 4.8, with over 80 learned rules and deep analysis, ended up in the lowest position. It left the close deal on the table and slipped into internal dispute resolution, illustrating that more rules and thoroughness don’t necessarily guarantee success. Discipline and decision-making under pressure remain critical, and AI models are still learning how to balance thoroughness with decisiveness.
The Broader Implication for Business
This experiment goes beyond AI novelty. It questions whether automation can truly replace human judgment, especially in complex, crisis-laden scenarios. If AI is to touch your CRM, support queues, or forecasting systems, the key concern is not how well it writes but whether it can finish what it starts, read relevant files, and stay honest under pressure.
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Watch, Learn, and Prepare
For business leaders, the message is clear: before you hire an AI workforce, you need to test it in the rough. The live simulation at firmulate.com/live.html offers a rare glimpse into AI’s real capabilities — and limitations. This is management testing on an unprecedented scale, in full public view, revealing what it truly takes for automation to succeed.
Watch it live: firmulate.com/live · Full results: firmulate.com/benchmarks.html
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