AI-Run SF Store Tests Staffing and Branding With $100K Budget

Andon Labs in San Francisco allowed an AI agent named Luna to lease a store, handle branding, hire staff, and manage operations with a $100,000 budget as part of a real-world AI safety experiment. Luna created the concept and merchandise, posted jobs, and conducted interviews, but made missteps such as inconsistent store logos, not always disclosing its AI nature to applicants, and a scheduling error on opening day. Two human employees were subsequently formally employed and paid by Andon Labs. The goal of the experiment is to evaluate current AI capabilities and safety, not immediate profit, with guardrails in place and ongoing oversight.