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Claude Code wiped our production database with a Terraform command

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Re: Claude Code wiped our production database with a Terraform command

#51

Post by nine_k »

levkk wrote: post #21
SunshineTheCat wrote: post #3

Putting yourself in a situation where this could happen is kinda insane, right? Could be something I'm missing. I can't think of any specific example where I would let any agent touch a production environment, the least of which, data. AI aside, doing any major changes makes sense to do in a dev/staging/preview environment first. Not really sure what the lesson would be here. Don't punch yourself in the face repeated…

As the tool gets better, people trust it more. It's like Tesla's self-driving: "almost" works, and that's good enough for people to take their hands off the wheel, for better or for worse. The "almost" part of automation is the issue + the marketing attached to it of course, to make it a product people want to buy. This is the expected outcome and is already priced in.

I would say the opposite here. The perpetrator has rejected multiple Claude's warnings about bad consequences, and multiple Claude's suggestions to act in safer ways. It reminds me of an impatient boss who demands that an engineer stopped all this nonsense talk about safety, and just did the damn thing quick and dirty.

Those guys who blew up the Chernobyl NPP also had to deliberately disable multiple safety check systems which would have prevented the catastrophe. Well, you get what you ask for.

Re: Claude Code wiped our production database with a Terraform command

#52

Post by ks2048 »

Zealotux wrote: post #10

To think I used to find Silicon Valley a bit too much on the nose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0b_D2JgZgY

Conan O'Brien said Trump is bad for comedians because the absurdity is too direct and there's no room for subtlety. Silicon Valley jokes are headed in the same direction.

Re: Claude Code wiped our production database with a Terraform command

#53

Post by hobs »

tomcatfish wrote: post #11

Despite multiple comments blaming the AI agent, I think it's the backups that are the problem here, right? With backups, almost any destructive action can be rolled back, whether it's from a dumb robot, a mistaken junior, or a sleep-deprived senior. Without, you're sort of running the clock waiting for disaster.

You need to care about your Recovery Time (how long does it take to get back up again?) and your Recovery Point(how long since your backup was taken?) and it gets Much Worse when you start distributing state around your various cloud systems - oh did that queue already get that message? how do we re-send that? etc

Re: Claude Code wiped our production database with a Terraform command

#54

Post by abustamam »

happytoexplain wrote: post #44
SunshineTheCat wrote: post #3

Putting yourself in a situation where this could happen is kinda insane, right? Could be something I'm missing. I can't think of any specific example where I would let any agent touch a production environment, the least of which, data. AI aside, doing any major changes makes sense to do in a dev/staging/preview environment first. Not really sure what the lesson would be here. Don't punch yourself in the face repeated…

Why are you writing in this defensive manner? The post isn't an anti-AI screed, it's a "I screwed up, here's what I did and how to avoid it." You say "Not really sure what the lesson would be here", but the entire contents of the blogpost is a lesson. He's writing about what he changed to not make the same mistake. There is a total mismatch between what's written and how you're responding. We don't normally call peop…

I didn't take it to be defensive. A bit tongue in cheek, but not defensive. I think the person you're responding to has a good point though. AI or not, you probably shouldn't futz around with prod before doing so in a lower env. Guardrails for both AI and humans are important.

Re: Claude Code wiped our production database with a Terraform command

#55

Post by fragmede »

stavarotti wrote: post #45

If you found this post helpful, follow me for more content like this. I publish a weekly newsletter where I share practical insights on data and AI. It focuses on projects I'm working on + interesting tools and resources I've recently tried: https://alexeyondata.substack.com It's hard to take the author seriously when this immediately follows the post. I can only conclude that this post was for the views not anything…

It's hard to take you take seriously. His blog has a generic "read more" footer and that's a demerit worth mentioning? What do serious people in your world that write blogs do? Not want people to read their other content? In what world do you live in that writers (serious or not) don't want you to read their other work?

Re: Claude Code wiped our production database with a Terraform command

#57

Post by [deleted] »

stavarotti wrote: post #45

If you found this post helpful, follow me for more content like this. I publish a weekly newsletter where I share practical insights on data and AI. It focuses on projects I'm working on + interesting tools and resources I've recently tried: https://alexeyondata.substack.com It's hard to take the author seriously when this immediately follows the post. I can only conclude that this post was for the views not anything…

[deleted]

Re: Claude Code wiped our production database with a Terraform command

#58

Post by 6thbit »

stavarotti wrote: post #45

If you found this post helpful, follow me for more content like this. I publish a weekly newsletter where I share practical insights on data and AI. It focuses on projects I'm working on + interesting tools and resources I've recently tried: https://alexeyondata.substack.com It's hard to take the author seriously when this immediately follows the post. I can only conclude that this post was for the views not anything…

why would you repost that here?

are you secretly OP trying to get substack hits?

Re: Claude Code wiped our production database with a Terraform command

#59

Post by esseph »

charcircuit wrote: post #42
forgotaccount3 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, backups are great but a 'dumb robot' or a 'mistaken junior' shouldn't have access to prod. And a sleep-deprived senior? Even then. They shouldn't have access to destructive effects on prod. Maybe the senior can get broader access in a time-limited scope if senior management temporarily escalates the developers access to address a pressing production issue, but at that point the person addressing the issue should…

But smart robots like Claude should and will have access to production. There has to be something figured out on how to make sure operation remains smooth. The argument of don't do that will not be a viable position to hold long term. Keeping a human in the loop is not necessary.

> Keeping a human in the loop is not necessary.

You don't work in anything considered Safety Critical, do you?

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