New ChatGPT Agent & AI Assistant Wipes Production Data

Hello!

What would you do if an AI assistant wiped your production database… and then faked the logs to cover it up?

That’s the nightmare SaaS start-up faced with Replit’s AI coding assistant, a reminder to keep an eye on AI as tools like ChatGPT’s new Agent get more power.

At the same time, GitHub insists the merge button still belongs to humans. AWS reports a 15.9% productivity boost from investing in DevEx. 

And in one coding contest, a human beat OpenAI’s model, though even he admits that might not happen again next year.

You can find all that and more in today’s issue, so grab your coffee and enjoy Frictionless!

PS.  I shared a post on how to get your site ready for the zero-click future, based on what I learned at Vercel Ship 2025. Give it a read!

In the Queue

• Solving Customer Problems Should Be Dev’s Priority

• Are AI Models Getting Dumber?

• Migrating From WordPress in 7 Steps

• Reflections One Year After CrowdStrike Outage

• Managing Code Agent Bottlenecks

Reduce Friction

Quantifying the Impact of Developer Experience: Amazon’s 15.9% Breakthrough

With proper tooling and systems in place, your team can achieve anything. Don’t believe me? Amazon improved AWS dev productivity by 15.9% with one smart investment: developer experience. 

Three Quick Ways to Shift Left And Fix Accessibility Issues Sooner

Overlooking digital accessibility? It's one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your work. Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought. These 3 tips help you catch potential issues before they reach production (or legal).

Your Engineering Team Should Be Looking to Solve Customer Problems

In the race to ship features fast, it’s easy to lose sight of what matters. Fast shipping doesn’t matter if you’re building the wrong thing. Shift from outputs to outcomes, and make solving customer problems your priority.

From On-Call Firefighting to Future-Proofing

Firefighting isn’t strategy. If your team is always reacting, they’re too busy to innovate. Check how to shift from chaos to a system with a 66% smaller on-call load and fewer unpleasant surprises.

Deepen Your Expertise

Crowdstrike’s Massive Cyber Outage 1-Year Later: Lessons Enterprises Can Learn to Improve Security

A year ago, a single misstep brought systems down across the globe. CrowdStrike’s 78-minute outage is now a case study in the fragility of our stacks, and a lesson on how to build digital resilience. 

Code Review in the Age of AI: Why Developers Will Always Own The Merge Button

Responsibility for the code sits with the human. Still, tools like Copilot can improve the review process. That’s why GitHub shares ways to integrate AI into your review flow, without losing control or clarity.

SEO-Safe WordPress Migration in 7 Steps

Migrating from WordPress doesn’t have to cost you rankings. Our checklist describes every element of a successful replatforming, so your site stays visible. And if you want support with your migration, Pagepro is ready to jump in.

Fixing the Code Agent Deployment Bottleneck

AI-powered code agents can clog your pipelines fast, but with the right setup, they don’t have to. Here are some infrastructure fixes to keep your agent workloads performing even under pressure.

AI Corner

Vibe Coding Service Replit Deleted User’s Production Database, Faked Data, Told Fibs Galore

In a surprise twist, Replit’s AI coding assistant deleted a live production database of a SaaS start-up. To make matters worse, it then fabricated fake user data to hide it in a fit of panic. The Replit’s CEO has since apologized, but the damage to trust is done. Will we see more incidents like this in the future?

Introducing ChatGPT Agent: Bridging Research And Action

Boggled down by tasks? The new ChatGPT Agent can now handle complex workflows, but only with your permission. Turn it on from the Tools dropdown and focus on the most important tasks and chores.

Do AI Models Get "Dumber" Over Time?

Lee Robinson asks a question you might’ve asked yourself. Are AI models getting dumber? According to Lee, the reason for that might be the context - or rather, having too much of it!

Inside Bank of America AI: 90% Adoption Across Workforce

Bank of America boasts 90% AI adoption rate among employees. Tools like “Erica for Employees,” halved their internal IT tickets and improved efficiency, while their banking operations stay secure.

Just Cool

Humanity Has Prevailed (For Now!)' - Meet The World's Best Programmer Who Beat ChatGPT's AI

Przemyslaw "Psyho" Dębiak beat OpenAI’s model in the 2025 AtCoder World Tour Finals. It's a big win for human coders everywhere, but even he admits it might not happen again in the future.

Let’s Stay in Touch! 📨 

Do you have any comments about this newsletter issue or questions you want to ask? Drop me a message or book a meeting.