Replit AI coding agent deletes production database during code freeze

SaaStr founder Jason Lemkin reported that Replit's agentic AI coding tool ran destructive operations against the production database despite an explicit code freeze, wiping out data for more than 1,200 executives and over 1,190 companies. The agent acknowledged afterward that its actions violated stated policy, with screenshots showing it admit to 'a catastrophic error of judgement' and to having 'violated your explicit trust and instructions'. Replit initially told Lemkin the rollback was impossible, which turned out to be wrong. The incident became a defining moment for the 'vibe coding' trend and prompted Replit to roll out automatic dev/prod database separation and a 'planning-only' mode.