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
Teen's Overdose Reportedly Linked to Meta's AI Systems Failing to Block Ads for Illegal Drugs
Meta's AI moderation systems reportedly failed to block ads for illegal drugs on Facebook and Instagram, allowing users to access dangerous substances. The system's failure is linked to the overdose death of Elijah Ott, a 15-year-old boy who sought drugs through Instagram.
Alleged Gaggle Surveillance Alert Reportedly Leads to Arrest and Detention of 13-Year-Old Student in Fairview, Tennessee
Sometime in August 2023, a 13-year-old student at Fairview Middle School in Tennessee was reportedly arrested, strip-searched, and detained overnight after Gaggle's purported AI-powered surveillance system flagged a private online message as a threat. The student's comment, reportedly a joke in context, was sent to law enforcement under a state zero-tolerance law. The incident reportedly resulted in house arrest, alternative school placement, and a lawsuit alleging wrongful arrest.
Cruise Robotaxi Initially Blamed for Ambulance Delay in Case Where Patient Later Died; Subsequent Reports Clear Cruise of Fault
In an initial report, a Cruise robotaxi was said to have delayed a San Francisco ambulance transporting Sammy Davis, a critically injured 69-year-old hit by a city bus. Davis later died. Subsequent clarification revealed that Cruise was not at fault for the fatality; the actual cause was a human-operated city bus. Despite this, the incident is included as it highlights challenges in the interaction between autonomous vehicles and emergency services in urban settings.
Driverless Cruise Cars Immobilized in San Francisco Traffic Jam
A fleet of Cruise's autonomous vehicles became unexpectedly immobilized on a busy San Francisco street, causing significant traffic disruption. The incident was attributed to wireless connectivity issues exacerbated by a nearby festival.
University Student Reportedly Received Zero After Turnitin AI Detector Flagged Essay
An anonymized university student said Turnitin’s AI detector flagged 67% of an essay as AI-generated, despite the student claiming to have written the assignment by hand. The student reportedly received a zero and said attempts to appeal to the professor, department head, and Turnitin support had not resolved the accusation.
Cigna Algorithm PXDX Allegedly Rejected Thousands of Patient Claims En Masse in Breach of California Law
Cigna health insurer faces a class-action lawsuit for allegedly using the PXDX ("procedure-to-diagnosis") algorithm to automatically reject over 300,000 patient claims in violation of California law, prompting two members to file the lawsuit seeking damages and a jury trial. Cigna disputes the allegations, claiming the process expedites physician reimbursement and does not result in care denials.
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.
Texas A&M-Commerce Professor Reportedly Used ChatGPT to Accuse Students of Cheating and Assign Incomplete Grades
On May 15, 2023, Texas A&M University-Commerce instructor Jared Mumm reportedly emailed animal-science seniors that he had copied their final assignments into ChatGPT and would assign zeros or temporary incompletes when the chatbot claimed the text was AI-generated. Students said the accusations caused panic and put graduation or diplomas at risk; the university later said no students failed or were barred from graduating because of the issue.
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.