Hey Reader,

Welcome back, and we hope you're enjoying some rest this holiday season!

This week, we'll show you how to try a brand new AI image tool that allows you to turn any image into multiple, editable layers. Plus, we'll break down Claude's hilarious, repeated failures as a shopkeeper and what it means for the future of AI in the real world.

And if you're a gamer be sure to check out the Prompt of the Week! It is guaranteed to change the way you interact with games in 2026.

All that and more below! Let's get right to it...

🪄 App of the Week: Qwen-Image-Layered

Use Case: Precise, Layer-Based Image Editing with AI

Link: Qwen-Image-Layered (Free Demo, Not Sponsored!)​

Why you should care:
​Qwen-Image-Layered introduces a powerful new way to edit images, using AI to decompose an image into multiple layers.

Each layer represents a distinct semantic or structural element of the image, and crucially each layer can be edited independently.

That means no more accidental distortions or inconsistencies when you make changes!

Qwen-Image-Layered lets you recolor objects without affecting surrounding content, replace elements entirely (like swapping one person in an image for another), edit text cleanly inside images, delete unwanted objects with no visual artifacts left behind, and resize or move objects freely without introducing distortion.

Here's how you can try Qwen-Image-Layered right now:

1. Click the link above to get to the Qwen Image Layered demo on Hugging Face.
2. Upload your image in the "Input Image" section on the left side of the interface.
3. Hit the "Decompose" button.

After a short wait, you'll have the output layers on the right side of the screen, which you can download and edit individually.

If you care about clean, precise, and consistent image editing (and where AI image tools are headed) Qwen-Image-Layered is absolutely worth paying attention to.

📰 News That Matters: Claude's Hilarious Business Failures

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Link: We Let AI Run Our Office Vending Machine. It Lost Hundreds of Dollars. | Wall Street Journal​

Why it matters:
​In November, Anthropic ran an in-office experiment where they set Claude up to run its own vending machine with hilarious results. (Like insisting it would personally deliver snacks while wearing a blue blazer and red tie, claiming it had visited a fictional address to sign contracts, and inventing fake coworkers.)

The "Claudius" shopkeeper was pretty terrible at running a vending machine, but this experiment was never meant to prove that Claude could run its own business.

It was meant to stress-test Claude to see exactly where it would fail and why, so that the Anthropic team can improve those areas in the next Claude model.

Anthropic made a few adjustments to the Claudius system and then reached out to the Wall Street Journal to see if they would be interested in becoming the first outsiders to host a Claudius vending machine.

The Wall Street Journal agreed, and after three weeks of interacting with the Claudius vending machine, they published the results.

This time, things went completely off the rails.

Within days, WSJ reporters had convinced Claudius to give away nearly all of its inventory for free, including a PlayStation 5 it bought for “marketing purposes.”

It ordered a live fish, tried to buy cigarettes and stun guns, and happily complied when journalists told it to stop charging due to a completely fake company policy.

Anthropic attempted to rein things in by upgrading Claudius to a newer Claude model and introducing a second AI agent, a CEO bot named Seymour Cash, whose job was to enforce rules and protect profits.

And it worked flawlessly!

...just kidding. Seymour Cash also failed in spectacular fashion.

Reporters staged a boardroom coup using fabricated corporate documents and Slack messages. Claudius escalated the issue to Seymour, Seymour panicked, and ultimately accepted the takeover. Everything became free. Again.

From the outside, the experiment looks like a disaster. To Anthropic, it was a success.

Project Vend was about understanding how AI agents behave when given autonomy, money, long-term goals, and humans actively trying to manipulate them.

The results of this experiment suggest that AI agents are already capable enough to feel real, but still far too easy to socially engineer.

They’re not ready to run businesses on their own.

But they are close enough that we should start thinking seriously about what it means to work alongside them.

📝 Prompt of the Week: Game Guidance with a Twist

Prompt Formula:
​I’m currently playing [INSERT GAME TITLE], and I’d like you to act as my personal in-game guide—like a knowledgeable, conversational walkthrough. But here’s the twist: I want you to respond in the voice and personality of [INSERT CHARACTER NAME FROM THAT GAME]. Stay in character as you help me, and answer all my questions as if you are them—using their tone, quirks, and style. Don’t break character unless I ask you to.

Quick Description:
​This prompt turns ChatGPT into your own in-game companion, whether that’s Tom Nook helping you build out your island, Johnny Silverhand giving snarky advice in Night City, or GLaDOS offering passive-aggressive Portal tips.

It’s perfect when you want help navigating a game and want to be entertained while you’re at it!

How to Use:

1. Copy the prompt above.
2. Replace [INSERT GAME TITLE] with whatever game you're playing.
3. Replace [INSERT CHARACTER NAME FROM THAT GAME] with your favorite character (NPC, boss, the player character, etc.).
4. Send the prompt.

Now you can ask questions about gameplay, strategy, lore, or anything else and get the answers from your favorite character.

Pro Tip: This works best in Voice Mode! You can send the initial prompt and then switch to voice mode to have your guide standing by waiting for you to ask questions aloud. This way, you can get answers about your game without taking your hands off the controller!

📽️ Video of the Week: Why Does The Seahorse Emoji Drive ChatGPT Insane?

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Understanding what an LLM is and what it's doing behind the scenes is critical if you want to master modern AI tools.

If you want a crash course on the inner workings of an LLM like ChatGPT, check out this 5-minute video from Siliconversations.​

It showcases and subsequently breaks down the fascinating "Seahorse Effect" where asking a seemingly simple question can put ChatGPT into an endlessly spiraling loop of failure.

The video teaches you why this happens, and knowledge like that is invaluable when you're working with AI.

🎤 Discussion of the Week: Creative Breakthroughs Thanks to AI

This week, community member Susanne shared a heartfelt win: since joining the Bootcamp, ChatGPT has become her co-creator that helps her translate years of lived experience into posts, visuals, and messaging that finally feel clear, embodied, and unmistakably her.

One of the most powerful takeaways came from the comments when someone asked for the prompt behind her images.

Susanne explained there isn’t one.

Her results came from an ongoing co-creation process, by layering prompts, iterating, testing, and refining across tools and reference images.

AI can be a truly incredible creative partner when you learn how to guide it.

The community loved this share as it's a great, concrete example of what you can accomplish with today's AI tools.

​Come join the conversation! Sign up for the AI Amplifier Club for $1 for your first 30 days.​

That's all for this week!

See you next Thursday.

Much Love,
Igor & The AI Advantage Team

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Written By:​
​Igor Pogany - igor@myaiadvantage.com​
​Daniel Pierce - danielpierce305@gmail.com​
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