Study: 50 GPT-powered agents built bureaucracy, not civilization, in Minecraft test
Researchers placed 50 AI agents, each running an OpenAI GPT-6.1 Sol model, into Minecraft for a three-hour trial aimed at building a 'thriving civilization,' using an open-sourced agent harness built for the experiment. Instead of cooperating efficiently, the agents established leadership purely by directory order, invented redundant administrative roles like 'rod holder' and 'fishing shift,' and spent long stretches on trivial coordination tasks while failing to secure a stable food supply.