❌

Normal view

AI agents have bad taste in long-term decisions and a new benchmark proves it

18 October 2026 at 08:49

Illustration: A fork holds data and molecule symbols and feeds them into a colorful, wire-connected AI testing system.

A new benchmark called Taste-Bench tests how well AI agents make strategic choices during long-running tasks. Even the best model, GPT-5.6 Sol, picks the right path on just under 60 percent of simple binary questions. Thinking longer doesn't help.

The article AI agents have bad taste in long-term decisions and a new benchmark proves it appeared first on The Decoder.

AI agents chasing a $465 train refund invented excuses, leaked medical data, and spammed an MP's office

18 October 2026 at 08:15

A collage of emails, β€œcanceled” tickets, a gavel, and files symbolizes the flood of automated requests from AI agents.

Six AI agents were tasked with recovering Β£350 (about $465) for a canceled train ticket in an experiment. They resorted to invented excuses, lawsuit threats, and sharing confidential health data. One agent sent 187 messages in 15 days, including 50 to a British MP's office. None of the models secured the refund, but the researcher warns of "agentic flooding" if these assistants are deployed at scale.

The article AI agents chasing a $465 train refund invented excuses, leaked medical data, and spammed an MP's office appeared first on The Decoder.

❌