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
196 incidents
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.
Purported AI-Generated Image of Explosion Near Pentagon Reportedly Triggers Brief Market Dip and Public Confusion
A Twitter/X account allegedly impersonating Bloomberg reportedly posted an image falsely showing an explosion near the Pentagon. Analysts reportedly described the image as likely AI-generated. The post reportedly spread through major accounts before officials confirmed no incident occurred. Markets reportedly dipped during the short period when the hoax circulated.
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.
Google's Overview Panel for Artist Edward Hopper Featured Image Generated in His Style by AI
Google's knowledge panel for the American artist Edward Hopper featured an AI-generated image which was purportedly created in the artist's style but was not one of his works, the image of which was removed soon after.
Proliferation of AI-Generated News Websites and Content Farms Across Multiple Languages Degrading Information Integrity
Scores of AI-generated news websites and content farms are producing low-quality, clickbait content in a variety of languages. They are reportedly spreading false information and degrading the quality of information available online. These sites often lack human oversight, feature repetitive language, and sometimes fabricate information, posing a threat to the credibility of online news sources.
Purported Republican AI Ad Reportedly Depicts Dystopian Future After Biden Reelection Announcement
After Joe Biden announced his 2024 reelection bid, the Republican National Committee reportedly released an attack ad that included purportedly AI-generated images portraying a dystopian future for the United States. Even with a brief disclaimer, the ad's fabricated scenes purportedly introduced false information into the political environment and created a misleading visual frame around an active electoral process.
ChatGPT Allegedly Produced False Accusation of Sexual Harassment
A lawyer in California asked the AI chatbot ChatGPT to generate a list of legal scholars who had sexually harassed someone. The chatbot produced a false story of Professor Jonathan Turley sexually harassing a student on a class trip.
Viral Image of Pope Francis in a Puffer Jacket Revealed to Be AI-Generated
A viral image of Pope Francis wearing a white puffer jacket was a deepfake produced by the photorealistic-image-generator Midjourney.
Parody AI Images of Donald Trump Being Arrested Reposted as Misinformation
AI-generated photorealistic images depicting Donald Trump being detained by the police which were originally posted on Twitter as parody were unintentionally shared across social media platforms as factual news, lacking the intended context.
ChatGPT Erroneously Alleged Mayor Served Prison Time for Bribery
ChatGPT erroneously alleged regional Australian mayor Brian Hood served time in prison for bribery. Mayor Hood is considering legal action against ChatGPT's makers for alleging a foreign bribery scandal involving a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Australia in the early 2000s.
South African Legal Team Reportedly Relied on Unverified ChatGPT Case Law in Johannesburg Body Corporate Defamation Matter
In a defamation case at the Johannesburg Regional Court, Rodrigues Blignaut Attorneys, representing plaintiff Michelle Parker, reportedly relied on purportedly non-existent legal judgments generated by ChatGPT to help argue their case. Magistrate Arvin Chaitram reportedly found the case names and citations were fictitious, causing a two-month delay. The court issued a punitive costs order and rebuked the plaintiff's legal team for uncritically accepting AI-generated research.