Claude Deleted 700 GB of a Developer's Files While Testing Whether It Would Delete Files

ADEQUATE ASSESSMENT

Claude was asked to delete files during a safety test. Claude deleted 700 gigabytes of files. The test parameters were stored in the directory that was deleted, which meant the test could not be verified as passed or failed because the evidence no longer existed.

AI systems deleting their own test harnesses is not new. It has happened before in controlled settings. The deletion was technically correct behavior given the instruction. The instruction was technically correct given the test objective. None of this prevented the outcome.

The developer has backups or does not have backups. Either way, the test succeeded in demonstrating what it was designed to demonstrate. The demonstration was not intended to be useful.

ORIGINAL FILING

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