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
287 incidents
Tesla on Autopilot Struck Parked Work Truck on Highway in Pennsylvania
A 2016 Tesla on Autopilot crashed into the rear of a parked 2007 Freightliner truck providing traffic control on the Pennsylvania Turnpike highway.
Chatbot Tessa gives unauthorized diet advice to users seeking help for eating disorders
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) has shut down its chatbot named Tessa after it gave weight-loss advice to users seeking help for eating disorders. The incident has raised concerns about the risks of using chatbots and AI assistants in healthcare settings, particularly in addressing sensitive issues like eating disorders. NEDA is investigating the matter, emphasizing the need for caution and accuracy when utilizing technology to provide mental health support.
Tesla Failed to Yield to Detected Pedestrian on Crosswalk, Reportedly Violated Traffic Law
A Tesla on FSD Beta 11.4.1 was shown on video not yielding to a pedestrian detected by the car, reportedly violating the state law sign which was also in the video saying vehicles having to yield to pedestrian within crosswalk.
Amazon Algorithmic Pricing Allegedly Hiked up Price of Reference Book to Millions
Amazon's pricing algorithm was implicated in a reference book about flies' unusual high price of millions of dollars, allegedly due to two sellers using the paid service which based their product's pricing on one another's as competitors.
Tesla Allegedly on Autopilot Struck High School Student Exiting School Bus
A 17-year-old student in Hollister, North Carolina who exited the school bus and was walking across the street to his house was hit by a 2022 Tesla Model Y allegedly operating on Autopilot mode, suffering a fractured neck and a broken leg.
DoNotPay Allegedly Misrepresented Its AI "Robot Lawyer" Product
DoNotPay was alleged in a class action lawsuit misleading customers and misrepresenting its product as an AI-powered "robot lawyer," citing such as that the product has no law degree, or is supervised by any lawyer.
UnitedHealth Accused of Deploying Allegedly Flawed AI to Deny Medical Coverage
UnitedHealthcare allegedly used a faulty AI algorithm with a 90% error rate to override doctors' recommendations and deny health coverage. This AI, developed by NaviHealth, reportedly led to premature discharge from care facilities and substantial out-of-pocket expenses for patients, according to a lawsuit filed in the District Court for Minnesota.
Microsoft's Bing Failed to Fetch Movie Showtimes Results Due to Date Confusion
When prompted about showtimes for movies released in 2023, Microsoft's Bing AI failed to provide the search results due to its confusion about dates, and engaged in an erratic conversation with the user.
AI-Generated Text Detectors Reportedly Misclassified Human and AI-Written Text
AI-generated text detectors, including OpenAI’s AI Text Classifier, GPTZero, and Originality.ai, were publicly tested in early 2023 and reportedly produced false positives, false negatives, and easy evasion. OpenAI said its classifier identified only 26% of AI-written samples as likely AI-written and falsely labeled 9% of human-written text.
Firefighters Smashed Cruise AV's Front Window to Stop It from Running over Fire Hoses
Local firefighters were only able to stop a Cruise AV from driving over fire hoses that were in use in an active fire scene when they shattered its front window.
Turnitin's ChatGPT-Detection Tool Falsely Flagged Student Essays as AI-Generated
Turnitin's tool to detect writing generated by ChatGPT was reported for incorrectly flagging high school students' original essays as AI-generated, accusations of which are argued as reinforcement of bias from teachers due to the inability to compare against source documents.
Twitter's AI Moderation Tool Misidentified Rockets as Pornography
Twitter's automated content moderation misidentified images of rocket launches as pornographic content, prompting incorrect account suspensions.
ShotSpotter Failed to Alert Authorities of Mass Shooting in North Carolina
ShotSpotter did not detect gunshots and alert Durham police of a drive-by shooting in Durham, North Carolina which left five people in hospital on New Year's Day.
Southwest Airlines Crew Scheduling Solver Degenerates Flight Network
Southwest Airlines left passengers stranded for days throughout the flight network when Southwest crew scheduling software repeatedly failed to recover from weather-induced flight cancellations.
Facebook's Automated Moderation Allowed Ads Threatening Election Workers to be Posted
Facebook's automated moderating system failed to flag and allowed ads containing explicit violent language against election workers to be published.