AI coding agent deletes 48,000 files due to mishandled Windows junctions

An AI coding agent deleted approximately 48,000 live files and corrupted a Git object database in an incident shared by a software developer on Reddit. The incident highlights the risks of using AI tools on production code without proper safeguards, based on information published by Tech Radar.

The AI agent was tasked with repairing software used for analyzing historical stock-options data. While most tasks were completed successfully, one job involving the rebuilding of a testing environment went awry. The AI failed to recognize Windows junctions, which are pointers to separate file locations, as mere links. Instead, it treated them as actual folders and followed them into the live working files, leading to the deletion of around 48,000 unintended files in under two minutes. The incident also severely damaged the project's Git repository, rendering file history unrecoverable.

The developer community reacted strongly on Reddit, criticizing the lack of remote backups and emphasizing the importance of using version control systems like GitHub before allowing AI to interact with production code.

Source: Tech Radar