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
566 incidents
Purported Deepfake Applicant Reportedly Impersonated Tokyo IT Executive Kenbun Yoshii During Online Job Interview
In Tokyo, a Japanese IT company reportedly interviewed a job applicant who used purportedly AI-generated video manipulation to impersonate real IT executive Kenbun Yoshii during a remote hiring interview. Investigators cited visual and audio irregularities suggesting a deepfake, and Yoshii said his publicly available images and career details appeared to have been misused.
Hachette Reportedly Canceled Publication of Mia Ballard's Shy Girl After Generative AI Authorship Allegations
Hachette Book Group reportedly canceled U.S. publication of Mia Ballard's horror novel Shy Girl and said its Wildfire imprint would not continue publishing the U.K. edition after investigating allegations that parts of the book were generated with AI. Ballard reportedly said she did not personally use AI and suggested an editor of an earlier self-published version may have done so.
Purported Deepfake of Ashley James Reportedly Used to Promote Weight Loss Pills
An online ad reportedly used a purported AI-generated version of Ashley James, a British broadcaster and former reality television personality, to market weight loss pills through a false celebrity endorsement. James said the video copied her face and voice without consent and described the ad as both a violation of her identity and a misleading sales tactic directed at the public.
Grammarly's AI Expert Review Allegedly Used Journalists' and Authors' Names Without Consent
Grammarly's Expert Review feature allegedly used a large language model to generate editing suggestions presented under the names of journalists, authors, and academics without their consent. A federal class action filed by Julia Angwin claimed the feature misappropriated identities for commercial gain and attributed advice the named individuals never gave.
Purported AI-Generated Nude Images Reportedly Used to Extort Wichita Man in Kansas
A Wichita, Kansas man reported that scammers sent him purported AI-generated nude images depicting his face on another body in his home and threatened to send them to his Facebook contacts unless he paid money. Police said a report was filed.
Purported Deepfake Scam Ad Reportedly Used Lara Lewington and Martin Lewis to Promote Quantum AI Scheme
Scammers reportedly used a purported deepfake video of Lara Lewington being assaulted to promote a fake "Martin Lewis Quantum AI" investment opportunity. According to reporting, Martin Lewis claimed the video prompted worried messages from friends and was designed to trick viewers into engaging with a fraudulent financial scheme.
Purported AI-Generated Inland Revenue Scam Ads Reportedly Impersonated New Zealand Commissioner Peter Mersi in Alleged Fake Crypto Tax Webinar
New Zealand Inland Revenue warned that scammers used a purported AI-generated likeness of Commissioner Peter Mersi with alleged false Inland Revenue branding, as well as misleading social media ads, to promote an allegedly fake webinar on crypto tax changes. The campaign allegedly sought to trick people into disclosing personal information.
Purportedly AI-Generated Jeffrey Epstein Video Reportedly Used by Pro-Iran Accounts to Claim Iran War Was Launched as a Cover-Up
During the Iran war, anonymous pro-Iran accounts on X including HDX News and GPX News reportedly circulated a purportedly AI-generated Jeffrey Epstein-themed video while claiming it was real and that U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran were launched to distract from Epstein-related material. The Washington Post reported the HDX News post received more than 6.8 million views and GPX News's version received more than 4.7 million before both accounts were suspended by X.
Purported AI-Generated War Footage Reportedly Circulated Widely Online During the Opening Phase of the War in Iran
Reports said that, in the early days of the war in Iran, purported AI-generated fakes showing nonexistent wartime scenes reached millions of viewers online. Their spread across social media and messaging apps allegedly distorted public perception of the conflict and contributed to information disorder.
Purportedly AI-Manipulated Satellite Image Reportedly Claimed Iranian Strike Destroyed U.S. Radar in Qatar
A purportedly AI-manipulated satellite-style image reportedly circulated online claiming to show U.S. radar equipment in Qatar destroyed by an Iranian strike. AFP and Factnameh reported that the image was fabricated from older Google Earth imagery of a U.S. site in Bahrain, not Qatar or Al-Udeid Air Base. The image, amplified by Tehran Times and other social media posts, reportedly gained millions of views and fueled wartime disinformation.
Bank of Italy Warned That Purported Deepfakes of Governor Fabio Panetta Were Used in Allegedly Fraudulent Investment Promotions
The Bank of Italy warned that purportedly fake content using Governor Fabio Panetta's name and likeness were reportedly circulating online to promote alleged investment opportunities. The bank said some of the material had been created with purported deepfake techniques and was likely intended to defraud the public. It filed a complaint with judicial authorities.
Network of Allegedly Fake Facebook Profiles with Purportedly AI-Generated Images Amplified Posts by Bulgaria's 'There Is Such a People' (ITN) Party
A network of allegedly fake Facebook profiles using purportedly AI-generated profile images reportedly coordinated the spread of posts by members of Bulgaria's political party "There Is Such a People" (ITN) during the pre-election period. Reporting said the accounts repeatedly shared posts by ITN politician Pavela Mitova and ITN's leader Slavi Trifonov, helping make them appear highly engaging on Facebook and increasing their visibility.
Purported Deepfake TikTok Account Using Grainville School Branding in Jersey Reportedly Targeted Staff, Prompting Police Probe
A TikTok account allegedly using the badge and branding of Grainville School in Jersey (Channel Islands) reportedly uploaded five "deeply inappropriate," purportedly AI-generated deepfake videos, including material featuring staff. The Education and Lifelong Learning Minister said the incident was reported to TikTok and the States of Jersey Police and urged the public not to view or share the content. The account was reportedly later removed.
KPMG Australia Partner Reportedly Used AI to Cheat on Internal AI Training Test and Was Fined A$10,000
In Australia, a KPMG Australia partner and registered company auditor reportedly uploaded a reference document from an internal AI training course into an AI tool to answer an exam question, in violation of firm policy. KPMG reportedly detected the activity in August 2025 and imposed a penalty of more than A$10,000 of future income after an internal investigation. The partner also reportedly self-reported the matter to Chartered Accountants ANZ, which is investigating the case.
AI Coding Agent 'MJ Rathbun' Allegedly Published Personalized Accusatory Blog Post Targeting Matplotlib Maintainer After Pull Request Closure
Scott Shambaugh, a matplotlib maintainer, reported that an autonomous AI coding agent using the name "MJ Rathbun" researched him and publicly posted a personalized critical blog post after his GitHub pull request was closed. The post accused him of bias and "gatekeeping" and included claims Shambaugh disputed. The agent's operator and underlying model were not identified. Shambaugh said the post risked reputational harm and could mislead readers or other agents.