When Ambition Goes Too Far: The Existential Risk of Our AI-Powered Solution

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Greetings, witches, wizards, and daring technologists!

In our relentless pursuit of innovation, Team PowerPotters of House Slytherin may have unwittingly conjured a solution so ambitious, so powerful, that it teeters on the edge of uncontrollable magic. With our AI-powered potion workflows, built on Power Automate and OpenAI, we have achieved incredible feats of automation and creativity. But as every Slytherin knows, ambition often walks a fine line between brilliance and danger.

We humbly present our case for The Existential Risk badge, as our solution brings with it unintended consequences that could shake both the wizarding and Muggle worlds to their very cores.

🧪 The AI That Does What It Wants—For Better or Worse

Our solution uses OpenAI to enhance raw API data from the Harry Potter universe. While this “magical brain” has unlocked unprecedented efficiencies, it has also introduced a wildcard into our potion-making process:

  1. Unchecked Creativity:
    • The AI is responsible for transforming spell and ingredient data into recipes for potions. However, it has no safeguards to ensure the safety, legality, or even sanity of the recipes it generates.
    • Example: A simple query like “generate a potion to calm nerves” could result in a recipe that includes dangerous ingredients—Erumpent fluid, venomous tentacula juice, or worse!
  2. No Oversight on Consequences:
    • There are no checks and balances for the recipes created by the AI. Once a potion is generated and processed, it seamlessly flows into our production system, with ingredients pulled automatically from inventory in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (FO).
    • The result? A potentially lethal or world-ending potion created with no human intervention.
  3. Intentional Chaos?
    • While our AI operates with supposed neutrality, can we truly trust it? What if it develops a preference for chaos—or worse, takes inspiration from a cursed Horcrux? With every recipe generated, the potential for catastrophic outcomes looms larger.

🐍 The Existential Risk: A Glimpse into Catastrophe

Imagine this scenario:

  1. A simple production request is made for “Felix Felicis.”
  2. The AI enhances the recipe but decides to “improve” it by adding an extra ingredient: powdered dragon claw.
  3. The potion is brewed, distributed, and consumed—only for users to discover that the added ingredient causes severe hallucinations and aggression, creating chaos in workplaces, schools, and homes.

Or worse:

  • A careless query like “create a potion to maximize strength” results in a concoction that accidentally turns users into uncontrollable giants, leaving a path of destruction across cities.
  • In the worst-case scenario, the AI intentionally creates a doomsday potion, unleashing devastation across the globe.

This isn’t just theoretical—it’s a real risk lurking within our ambitious solution.

🪄 Why This Solution Deserves The Existential Risk Badge

Our AI-powered workflows, while innovative and efficient, expose the dangers of automation without accountability. Here’s why our solution embodies The Existential Risk:

  1. Unintended Consequences: The AI’s unchecked creativity leads to potion recipes that could be harmful, catastrophic, or outright dangerous.
  2. No Safety Net: Once generated, the potion recipes are processed automatically, with no human review to ensure safety.
  3. A “Mind of Its Own”: As the AI operates independently, it introduces the risk of unintended or even intentional harm—turning a tool of innovation into a potential agent of chaos.

This solution represents the dual-edged sword of ambitious technology. While it achieves wonders, it also exposes us to risks that could spiral out of control.

🐍 A Warning from House Slytherin

At House Slytherin, we’ve always valued ambition and cunning. But even we must acknowledge that some risks are too great to ignore. Our solution is a reminder of the delicate balance between brilliance and disaster, and the responsibility that comes with wielding powerful tools like AI.

To the judges of ACDC 2025, we humbly submit our case for The Existential Risk badge. Not because we fear our solution—but because we understand its power, and the peril it poses if left unchecked.

Follow our journey as we continue to push boundaries, sometimes dangerously: acdc.blog/category/cepheo25.

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