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
24 incidents
Amazon Allegedly Tweaked Search Algorithm to Boost Its Own Products
Amazon tweaked product-search algorithm to boost and guide customers towards more profitable in-house products instead of showing mainly most-relevant and best-selling listings, which its internal engineers and lawyers alleged to violate company’s best-for-customer principle.
Gmail’s Inbox Sorting System Reportedly Reduced Visibility of Political Emails and Campaign Calls-to-Action
Google's Gmail inbox sorting algorithm for political emails was reported by presidential candidates, nonprofits, and advocacy groups for having negative impact on call-to-actions, allegedly suppressing donations and impeding political actions.
Google Fined for Changing Shopping Algorithms in EU to Favor Own Service
Google was fined by EU Commission for changing its shopping algorithms in Europe to favor its own comparison service over competitors, resulting in anti-competitive effects.
Amazon India Allegedly Rigged Search Results to Promote Own Products
Amazon India allegedly copied products and rigged search algorithm to boost its own brands in search ranking, violating antitrust laws.
RealPage Algorithm Allegedly Inflates Rents and Reduces Competition in Housing Market
RealPage’s YieldStar pricing algorithm is at the center of allegations that it enabled landlords to coordinate rent increases by sharing nonpublic pricing and occupancy data, raising rents artificially and reducing competition. On January 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against six major landlords, alleging that they used the algorithm and other direct communication methods to stifle competition, harming renters nationwide.
Amazon Flex Drivers Allegedly Fired via Automated Employee Evaluations
Amazon Flex's contract delivery drivers were dismissed using a minimally human-interfered automated employee performance evaluation based on indicators impacted by out-of-driver's-control factors and without having a chance to defend against or appeal the decision.
Kronos Scheduling Algorithm Allegedly Caused Financial Issues for Starbucks Employees
Kronos’s scheduling algorithm and its use by Starbucks managers allegedly negatively impacted financial and scheduling stability for Starbucks employees, which disadvantaged wage workers.
Apple Tweaked App Store Ranking Algorithms, Allegedly Resulted in Demotion of Local Apps in China
Following Apple’s changes in ranking algorithm in its iTunes App Store, apps by allegedly reputable companies and local startups in China experienced significant drops in ranking order.
Inefficiencies in the United States Resident Matching Program
Alvin Roth, a Ph.D at the University of Pittsburgh, describes the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and suggests future changes that are needed in the algorithm used to match recently graduated medical students to their residency programs.