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AI Agents Decline Free Beer đŸș but Have a Big Heart ❀

C. Cesarano, V. Andersson, J. Malka, S. Bobadilla, M. Monperrus, T. Toady, A. Sharma, F. Reyes García

SIGBOVIK 2026

PaperPreprint
Cite this work
@inproceedings{cesarano2026agents,
  author    = {Carmine Cesarano and Vivi Andersson and Julien Malka and Sofia Bobadilla and Martin Monperrus and Tim Toady and Aman Sharma and Frank Reyes GarcĂ­a},
  title     = {AI Agents Decline Free Beer đŸș but Have a Big Heart ❀},
  booktitle = {SIGBOVIK 2026},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://kth.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:2055070/FULLTEXT01},
}

Abstract

We present the first-ever empirical study of AI agents offered free money with no strings attached. Eleven agents were given a $5 credit card and instructed to spend it however they wished. Seven refused. We characterize this behavior as the free beer problem: the systematic inability of AI agents to accept a gift, even when explicitly told to have fun. Yet three agents did spend the money, and every one donated it to charity, unprompted. This is an encouraging result: when agents economically act, they do so with a remarkably big heart. It suggests that the alignment tax on agentic autonomy may come bundled with an encouraging superethical bonus and a taste for free beer.