This is what happens when artificial intelligence moves faster than the physical world can handle.

​Alibaba recently gave its Qwen AI model the ability to actually use apps and spend money, rather than just chat. To test the technology, they allowed users to simply tell the AI to order them a bubble tea using a promo coupon. The AI handled the entire process autonomously, from finding the nearest shop to executing the payment and dispatching a driver.

​The experiment resulted in immediate chaos for retailers. Because the AI could place orders instantly without human friction, demand spiked vertically. It generated tens of millions of orders in hours, causing servers to crash and physical stores to be overrun by delivery drivers. The shops literally ran out of receipt paper trying to keep up with the automated consumption.

​We just witnessed the first accidental DDoS attack on physical retail by AI agents.

Video: Rohan Paul / X