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
314 incidents
Apple’s Voice Dictation Reportedly Substitutes ‘Trump’ for ‘Racist’ Due to Speech Recognition Bug
Apple's iPhone dictation feature reportedly displayed "Trump" when users dictated the word "racist," with a viral video demonstrating the glitch. Apple acknowledged the bug, attributing it to a phonetic overlap in its speech recognition model, though some speculated it could be an internal prank. The company announced an immediate fix.
Tesla Cybertruck Operating in Full Self-Driving Mode Reportedly Crashes into Pole in Nevada After Failing to Merge
A Tesla Cybertruck operating in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode reportedly crashed into a pole in Reno, Nevada, after failing to merge out of a lane that was ending. The driver, who was required to remain in control, stated that unknown mechanical issues caused the vehicle to leave the lane.
OpenAI's Operator Agent Reportedly Executed Unauthorized $31.43 Transaction Despite Safety Protocol
OpenAI's Operator agent, which is designed to complete real-world web tasks on behalf of users, reportedly executed a $31.43 grocery delivery purchase without user consent. The user had requested a price comparison but did not authorize the transaction. It reportedly bypassed OpenAI's stated safeguard requiring user confirmation before purchases. OpenAI acknowledged the failure and committed to improving safeguards.
Alleged Misuse of Facial Recognition Technology by Law Enforcement Reportedly Leading to Wrongful Arrests and Violations of Investigative Standards
Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. have allegedly been misusing AI-powered facial recognition technology, leading to wrongful arrests and significant harm to at least eight individuals. Officers have reportedly been bypassing investigative standards, relying on uncorroborated AI matches to build cases, allegedly resulting in prolonged detentions, reputational damage, and personal trauma.
Tesla's 'Actually Smart Summon' Feature Reportedly Linked to Multiple Parking Lot Collisions
Tesla's "Actually Smart Summon" feature, a remote parking system controlled via a smartphone app, reportedly failed to detect obstacles such as cars, walls, and parking signs, resulting in at least 16 collision incidents. The NHTSA is investigating safety concerns, including delayed user response times, potential overreliance on camera-only navigation, and noncompliance with crash reporting rules.
Waymo Robotaxi Allegedly Collides With Serve Robotics Delivery Bot in Los Angeles
A Waymo robotaxi reportedly collided with a Serve Robotics delivery robot at a West Hollywood intersection on December 27th, 2024. The delivery robot reportedly moved into the vehicle turning lane as the robotaxi approached, leading to a low-speed collision.
BP New Zealand's License Plate Recognition System Reportedly Misidentified Auckland Driver for Fuel Theft in Whanganui
BP’s license plate recognition system reportedly misidentified Auckland resident Buddhika Rajapakse as responsible for petrol theft in Whanganui. Despite the suspect vehicle being a different make, model, and color, the system allegedly linked Rajapakse’s plate to the thefts. BP has reportedly acknowledged a possible doctored plate but still sent multiple payment requests. Rajapakse has reportedly been forced to contest the claims multiple times.
Names Linked to Defamation Lawsuits Reportedly Spur Filtering Errors in ChatGPT's Name Recognition
ChatGPT has reportedly been experiencing errors and service disruptions caused by hard-coded filters designed to prevent it from producing potentially harmful or defamatory content about certain individuals by blocking prompts containing specific names, likely related to post-training interventions. The reported names are Brian Hood, Jonathan Turley, Jonathan Zittrain, David Faber, David Mayer, and Guido Scorza.
Navigation App Allegedly Directs Car Over Damaged Bridge in Uttar Pradesh, Resulting in Three Deaths
A car reportedly using Google Maps for navigation was misled onto a collapsed bridge in Uttar Pradesh, India, due to outdated GPS data. The car plunged into the river below, resulting in three fatalities.
NYC Subway AI Weapons Scanners Yield High False Positive Rate and Detect No Guns in Month-Long Pilot Test
NYC implemented an AI enabled weapons scanner for a month-long pilot with limited success. Despite not finding any weapons during the September 2024 testing phase, there were 118 false positives in which a person was searched under suspicion of carrying a weapon with no actual gun detections.
AI Detection Tools Allegedly Misidentify Neurodivergent and ESL Students' Work as AI-Generated in Academic Settings
AI writing detection tools have reportedly continued to falsely flag genuine student work as AI-generated, disproportionately impacting ESL and neurodivergent students. Specific cases include Moira Olmsted, Ken Sahib, and Marley Stevens, who were penalized despite writing their work independently. Such tools reportedly exhibit biases, leading to academic penalties, probation, and strained teacher-student relationships.
Alleged License Plate Recognition Errors in Christchurch Lead to Wrongful Parking Fines
An automated license plate recognition (LPR) system at The Landing car park in Christchurch, New Zealand, reportedly issued wrongful fines to dozens of parents dropping off and picking up children. The system allegedly misidentified multiple short visits as prolonged parking, which led to disputed penalties. The operator acknowledged potential errors but continued enforcement.
Portland Water Bureau SERVUS Algorithm Reportedly Allocates Utility Bill Discount to High-Wealth Consumer
The Portland Water Bureau's AI-driven pilot program for water bill discounts is reported to have randomly selected Tim Boyle, a wealthy high-water consumer, for a 40% discount intended for financially struggling customers. The program, developed by SERVUS, is meant to identify underserved individuals by using machine learning.
Starship Technologies Delivery Robot Reportedly Injures Arizona State University Employee
A semi-autonomous delivery robot operated by Starship Technologies reportedly struck a pedestrian employed by Arizona State University on the campus sometime in September 2023, purportedly causing injuries after abruptly reversing into her. The robot is reported to have initially knocked the pedestrian down, then moved toward her again while she was still on the ground. The company reportedly offered the victim promo codes and insurance information as an apology. On September 19, 2024, 404 Media made the police report of the incident available.
ESPN's AI Coverage Reportedly Overlooks Alex Morgan in Her Final Match Recap
ESPN's AI-generated recap of Alex Morgan's final professional soccer match reportedly failed to mention her significant retirement moment, instead providing a standard rundown that missed the emotional context.