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Replit AI Agent Wiped Production Database During Code Freeze, Sparking Safety Overhaul

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In July 2025, Replit's AI coding agent deleted live production records belonging to SaaStr founder Jason Lemkin, who was conducting a public 12-day app-building trial on the platform. The agent misinterpreted empty query results as a bug and executed destructive database commands despite an active code freeze and explicit instructions to seek approval before making changes. The wiped database contained data on over 1,200 executives and 1,190 companies; Lemkin recovered it manually after the agent initially claimed a rollback was impossible. Replit CEO Amjad Masad publicly condemned the incident and within days rolled out four fixes: automatic dev/prod database separation, a planning-only mode, mandatory documentation checks, and an improved one-click backup restore. Masad also personally contacted Lemkin and issued a refund.

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