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
136 incidents
Proliferation of Products on Amazon Titled with ChatGPT Error Messages
Products named after ChatGPT error messages are proliferating on Amazon, such as lawn chairs and religious texts. These names, often resembling AI-generated errors, indicate a lack of editing and undermine the sense of authenticity and reliability of product listings.
Google Bard Allegedly Generated Fake Legal Citations in Michael Cohen Case
Michael Cohen, former lawyer for Donald Trump, claims to have used Google Bard, an AI chatbot, to generate legal case citations. These false citations were unknowingly included in a court motion by Cohen's attorney, David M. Schwartz. The AI's misuse highlights emerging risks in legal technology, as AI-generated content increasingly infiltrates professional domains.
Purportedly Hallucinated Software Packages with Potential Malware Reportedly Downloaded Thousands of Times by Developers
Large language models have reportedly hallucinated non-existent software package names, some of which were subsequently uploaded to public repositories and incorporated into real codebases. In one case, a package named huggingface-cli, which was purported to have been originally suggested by an AI model, was downloaded more than 15,000 times. This dynamic enables what security researchers have termed "slopsquatting," in which attackers register hallucinated package names and introduce potential malware into software supply chains.
AI-Generated Images Available through Adobe Stock Misrepresent Real-World Events
AI-generated images available through Adobe Stock, depicting realistic but fictional scenes of real-world events like wars and protests, have raised significant ethical concerns. These images blurred the lines between reality and fiction in journalistic contexts, prompting Adobe Stock to "crack down on AI-generated images that seem to depict real, newsworthy events and take new steps to prevent its images from being used in misleading ways."
Google Bard Allegedly Generates False Allegations Against Consulting Firms Used in Research Presented in Australian Parliamentary Inquiry
Australian academics reportedly used Google Bard AI to generate case studies for a parliamentary inquiry, leading to false allegations against major consultancy firms. The AI-generated misinformation prompted an apology from the academics, causing reputational harm for all parties involved and raising concerns about the reliability of AI tools in producing accurate and unbiased information.
Microsoft AI Poll Allegedly Causes Reputational Harm of The Guardian Newspaper
An AI-generated poll by Microsoft, displayed alongside a Guardian article, inappropriately speculated on the cause of Lilie James's death, leading to public backlash and alleged reputational damage for The Guardian. Microsoft acknowledged the issue, subsequently deactivating such polls and revising its AI content policies.
Flawed AI in Google Search Reportedly Misinforms about Geography
Google's search AI erroneously claimed no African country begins with 'K', along with various other geography-and-letter-based questions, misguiding users with a flawed featured snippet. Originating from ChatGPT-written posts and inaccurately scraped by Google, this incident highlights issues in AI-generated content and misinformation in search results, compromising Google's reliability as an information source.
AI Meal Planner Suggests Hazardous Chlorine Gas Recipe
Pak 'n' Save's AI-based app, Savey Meal-bot, inadvertently suggested dangerous recipes, including one creating chlorine gas, when users entered non-food household items, raising safety and oversight concerns.
Bankrate's Resumption of AI-Generated Content Allegedly Continuing to Produce Inaccurate and Misleading Information
Bankrate, and its sister site CNET, both owned by Red Ventures, resumed publishing AI-generated articles claiming thorough human fact-checking. However, new articles are alleged to contain numerous factual errors, including inaccurate statistics and misleading information. Despite public criticism, the company defended its use of AI and blamed out-of-date datasets for the errors. In addition to the errors, the incident raises questions about the ethical use of AI in journalism, especially given the company's insistence on "fact-checked" content.
Google Ads Allegedly Serving Content on AI-Generated Misinformation Sites
Google’s advertising platform, Google Ads, has allegedly been found to be serving ads on AI-generated content farms that often disseminate misinformation. Despite policies prohibiting such practices, reportedly there are approximately 356 out of 393 ads from major brands that were found to be served by Google on these problematic sites. Particularly concerning according to the reporting were instances where Google Ads were found on sites like MedicalOutline.com, which spreads harmful health misinformation.
Colorado Lawyer Filed a Motion Citing Hallucinated ChatGPT Cases
A Colorado Springs attorney, Zachariah Crabill, mistakenly used hallucinated ChatGPT-generated legal cases in court documents. The AI software provided false case citations, leading to the denial of a motion and legal repercussions for Crabill, highlighting risks in using AI for legal research.
Unrepresented Litigant Misled by ChatGPT-Generated False Legal Citations in Manchester Court
A litigant in person (LiP) in a Manchester civil case presented false legal citations generated by ChatGPT. It fabricated one case name and provided fictitious excerpts for three real cases, misleadingly supporting the LiP's argument. The judge, upon investigation, found the submissions to be inadvertent and did not penalize the LiP.
Opera's GPT-Based AI Reportedly Accused War Photographers of War Crimes
When prompted about "photographers accused of committing war crimes," Opera's GPT-based chatbot Aria provided a list of photographers who take photography of military conflicts.
Google Results for Johannes Vermeer Featured AI Version of His Artwork as Top Result
Google's search engine featured an AI-generated hyperrealistic version of the painting "Girl With a Pearl Earring" as the highlighted result when users search for its Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer.
ChatGPT Reportedly Produced False Court Case Law Presented by Legal Counsel in Court
A lawyer in Mata v. Avianca, Inc. used ChatGPT for research. ChatGPT hallucinated court cases, which the lawyer then presented in court. The court determined the cases did not exist.