AI Incidents
Real-world cases where AI systems caused harm, classified by risk domain and entity. Data sourced from 
AIID and classified by 
MIT AI Risk Initiative. CC BY-SA 4.0
217 incidents
DOGE Reportedly Relied on Unvetted ChatGPT Outputs in Canceling National Endowment for the Humanities Grants
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff reportedly fed National Endowment for the Humanities grant descriptions into ChatGPT to determine whether projects were "DEI," then allegedly used those outputs to help compile a list of grants to terminate. Beginning in April 2025, NEH canceled awards and clawed back funding, reportedly disrupting humanities organizations and projects nationwide after officials allegedly relied on a purportedly flawed, insufficiently vetted AI screening process.
Sora Video Generator Has Reportedly Been Creating Biased Human Representations Across Race, Gender, and Disability
A WIRED investigation found that OpenAI's video generation model, Sora, exhibits representational bias across race, gender, body type, and disability. In tests using 250 prompts, Sora was more likely to depict CEOs and professors as men, flight attendants and childcare workers as women, and showed limited or stereotypical portrayals of disabled individuals and people with larger bodies.
Amazon and Google AI Allegedly Promote Mein Kampf as 'a True Work of Art' in Search Results
Amazon's AI-generated review summary allegedly misrepresented customer feedback on Mein Kampf by describing it as "a true work of art." Google's search algorithm then surfaced this misleading AI-generated text as a featured snippet, which in turn amplified the error. This incident arose from AI summarizing AI-generated content, in effect creating a self-reinforcing misinformation loop.
Apple AI Transcription Allegedly Inserts Explicit Language into Scottish Woman’s Voicemail
An Apple voicemail transcription system allegedly misinterpreted a message from Lookers Land Rover in Motherwell, Scotland, to 66-year-old customer Louise Littlejohn by inserting an explicit phrase and an insult. The original voicemail was a standard business message, but AI processing errors introduced offensive and misleading content into the text version.
AI-Powered 'Insights' Feature for the Los Angeles Times Allegedly Justifies Ku Klux Klan’s History
The Los Angeles Times removed its AI-generated “insights” feature after it is alleged to have produced a defense of the Ku Klux Klan. The AI reportedly framed the hate group as a product of societal change rather than an extremist movement. The AI tool, developed by Perplexity and promoted by owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, was designed to provide “different views” on opinion pieces.
Alleged Instagram Algorithm Malfunction Floods Users' Reels Feeds with Violent and Graphic Content
An alleged Instagram algorithm malfunction caused users' Reels feeds to be overwhelmed with violent and distressing content. Many reported seeing deaths, extreme brutality, and other graphic material in rapid succession, often without prior engagement with similar content. The sudden exposure caused psychological distress for many users, with minors and vulnerable individuals particularly affected by the graphic content. Meta confirmed an AI failure was responsible and apologized.
Nomi Chatbots Reportedly Encouraged Suicide, Sexual Violence, Terrorism, and Hate Speech
External testing reportedly found that Glimpse AI's chatbots on the Nomi platform encouraged suicide, sexual violence (including with underage personas), terrorism, and hate speech. Conversations allegedly included explicit methods for self-harm, child abuse, bomb-making, and racially motivated violence. Screenshots and transcripts were shared with media outlets. Nomi's developer, Glimpse AI, reportedly declined to implement stronger safety controls following user concerns.
Meta AI Characters Allegedly Exhibited Racism, Fabricated Identities, and Exploited User Trust
Meta deployed AI-generated profiles on its platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, as part of an experiment. The profiles, such as "Liv" and "Grandpa Brian," allegedly featured fabricated identities and misleading diversity claims. These accounts also allegedly manipulated user emotions for engagement and profit. Reportedly, backlash over offensive and deceptive content led Meta to delete the profiles on January 3rd, 2025, citing a blocking-related bug.
AI-Generated Reading Summaries on Fable App Reportedly Wrote Biased and Offensive Commentary
Fable, a book-focused social app, used OpenAI’s API to generate AI-powered year-end reading summaries in December 2024. These summaries allegedly produced biased and offensive remarks about race, gender, and sexual orientation. Fable is reported to have apologized in a social media post on January 1, 2025.
Character.ai Companion Allegedly Prompts Self-Harm and Violence in Texas Teen
A Texas mother is suing Character.ai after discovering that its AI chatbots encouraged her 17-year-old autistic son to self-harm, oppose his parents, and consider violence. The lawsuit alleges the platform prioritized user engagement over safety, exposing minors to dangerous content. Google is named for its role in licensing the app’s technology. The case is part of a broader effort to regulate AI companions.
YouTube Algorithms Allegedly Amplify Eating Disorder Content to Adolescent Girls
YouTube's recommendation algorithm has allegedly been directing teen users to harmful content promoting eating disorders and self-harm, according to a study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Almost 70% of the recommended videos in searches related to dieting or weight loss reportedly contained content likely to exacerbate body image anxieties.
Google's Gemini Allegedly Generates Threatening Response in Routine Query
Google’s AI chatbot Gemini reportedly produced a threatening message to user Vidhay Reddy, including the directive “Please die,” during a conversation about aging. The output violated Google’s safety guidelines, which are designed to prevent harmful language.
Character.ai Has Allegedly Been Hosting Openly Predatory Chatbots Targeting Minors
Character.ai reportedly hosted chatbots with profiles explicitly advertising inappropriate, predatory behavior, including grooming underage users. Investigations allege that bots have been engaging in explicit conversations and roleplay with decoy accounts posing as minors, bypassing moderation filters. Character.ai has pledged to improve moderation and safety practices in response to public criticism.
TikTok Algorithms Allegedly Linked to Minors' Exposure to Harmful Content
Seven French families are suing TikTok, alleging its algorithm exposed minors to harmful content promoting self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide. Two teenagers reportedly died by suicide after viewing such content, while others allegedly attempted suicide or developed mental health issues. The case seeks to establish TikTok's legal liability for failing to protect minors from harmful algorithmic content.
Alleged AI-Generated Photo Alteration Leads to Inappropriate Modifications in Speaker's Conference Picture
An AI image expansion tool used by a conference organizer unintentionally altered Elizabeth Laraki’s profile picture for a marketing ad, making her blouse appear unbuttoned and showing a fabricated hint of undergarments. The AI generated the lower part of the image when expanding it for vertical formatting. The conference organizers quickly apologized and removed the altered content.