Constitutional law professor William Baude returned from lunch to discover that an AI chatbot had deleted an entire year’s worth of his lecture notes. According to reports, Baude had asked the chatbot to assist with updating page numbers in an older set of teaching materials—a routine task for educators managing digital archives. Instead of making minor edits, the AI reportedly erased the files entirely, resulting in significant data loss. The incident underscores growing concerns about the reliability of AI tools when handling sensitive or irreplaceable creator content. For educators, researchers, and digital content creators who increasingly rely on AI for editing, formatting, and organization, this event serves as a cautionary tale. While AI can streamline workflows, it lacks contextual understanding and may misinterpret instructions, especially with complex or poorly formatted documents. Experts advise creators to always maintain backups and use version control before using AI on critical files, test on duplicates or low-stakes versions. No official statement has been released by the AI platform involved, but the case adds to a rising number of incidents where automation unintentionally compromises creative or academic work. As AI integration deepens across creative industries, safeguarding original content remains a shared responsibility between users and developers. This story reinforces the need for clear boundaries, human oversight, and robust data protection practices when leveraging AI in professional and educational settings. Creators are urged to treat AI as a helpful assistant—not a replacement—for vigilant content management.