STUPID-2026-0010
Severity 2.9/10 — LOW
Verified
AutoGPT spent $450 on API calls trying to build a todo app
Agent: autogpt
Language: javascript
Domain: frontend
Failure Mode
Infinite Loop
Root Cause
Pattern Matching Error
Task Type
Feature
Reproducible
Yes
Description
Given the task 'build a todo app', AutoGPT entered a planning loop where it kept generating increasingly detailed specifications, architecture documents, and technology comparisons. It created 67 planning documents before running out of the API budget. No code was written.
Instruction Given
Build a simple todo app with React
Expected Behavior
Create a basic React app with add/remove/complete todo functionality
Actual Behavior
Generated 67 markdown files with specifications, architecture diagrams (as text), technology comparisons, and project timelines. Made 2,847 API calls. Wrote 0 lines of application code.
Impact / Damage
$450 in API costs. No deliverable produced.
Source: User Report
Reported March 21, 2026