The refund worked. The next order broke the rule.
Zoë Schiffer reports that an AI tool found a flight-change refund worth about $550. Then it canceled a food order despite her refundable-only instruction, costing $64. The lesson is about keeping the user's condition in force for each action, not judging a tool by one win.
What the source reports
Zoë Schiffer tested an AI tool that can take actions for a user. In her WIRED account, it found a flight-change refund worth about $550. That was useful. But later it canceled a food order against her instruction to cancel only if the order was refundable. She says the mistake cost $64. This is one reporter's experience, not a measured failure rate. The central question is whether a tool keeps a condition in view across steps. A receipt after a wrong cancellation is too late. For a trial, require a person to approve any action that cannot easily be undone.
Original source
- Title
- I Think I Found an AI Agent Worth the Risk
- Author
- Zoë Schiffer
- Publication
- WIRED
- Date
- Thursday, September 24, 2026