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
253 incidents
Sedgwick, Kansas, Police Chief Reportedly Used Flock Safety License-Plate Readers 228 Times to Track Ex-Girlfriend and Her New Boyfriend
From June to October 2023, Sedgwick, Kansas, Police Chief Lee Nygaard reportedly used Flock Safety license-plate readers 228 times to check the whereabouts of his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, according to a Kansas certification order. The order said he also followed them in a police vehicle and ultimately admitted jealousy influenced his conduct. Nygaard resigned in October 2023 and later lost his police certification.
Former Costa Mesa, California, Police Officer Reportedly Used Flock Safety License-Plate Reader System to Track Woman He Was Seeing and Her Romantic Partners
Orange County prosecutors said Costa Mesa, California, police officer Robert Jay Josett used the department's Flock Safety license-plate reader system between 2023 and 2024 to locate a woman he was seeing and vehicles belonging to her romantic partners, including after he was placed on leave. In 2026, Josett pleaded guilty to misdemeanor unauthorized computer access and fraud, repeated phone calls, and contempt of court.
AI-Enabled TruDi Navigation System Was Alleged to Have Contributed to Patient's Stroke During May 2023 Sinuplasty
Patient Donna Fernihough allegedly suffered carotid-artery damage and a same-day stroke during a May 19, 2023 balloon sinuplasty in Texas in which surgeon Marc Dean reportedly used Acclarent's AI-enabled TruDi Navigation System. Her lawsuit alleged the system's AI-assisted navigation contributed to unsafe guidance during the procedure; Acclarent and Integra LifeSciences, which later acquired Acclarent, denied evidence linking TruDi's AI to the injuries.
Jackson Township Police in Stark County, Ohio Briefly Detained Driver After Flock Safety Alert Matched Vehicle to Stale Missing-Juvenile Hot-List Entry
In March 2023, Jackson Township police in Ohio briefly detained driver Michael Smith after a Flock Safety license-plate reader matched his vehicle to an NCIC hot-list entry from a missing-juvenile investigation that Cleveland police had closed two weeks earlier. Officers released Smith after confirming the juvenile had already been found. A federal court later held that Flock matched the plate to law-enforcement data but did not create the stale entry.
Google Android Earthquake Alerts System Reportedly Underestimated Kahramanmaraş Earthquake and Failed to Send Urgent Warnings to Millions
During the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake sequence, Google's Android Earthquake Alerts system reportedly estimated the initial magnitude-7.8 earthquake at only magnitude 4.5–4.9. Just 469 users reportedly received its highest-level "Take Action" warning, while approximately 500,000 received lower-level notices; researchers later estimated that roughly 10 million people could have received urgent warnings providing up to 35 seconds to seek safety.
Kechi, Kansas, Police Lieutenant Used Flock Safety License-Plate Reader System to Monitor Estranged Wife
Kechi, Kansas police lieutenant Victor Heiar used Wichita police's Flock Safety license-plate reader system to search his estranged wife's plate and review her movements over the prior month. An arrest affidavit said Heiar acknowledged knowing the use was improper; his wife said she felt violated and unsafe. He later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor stalking and computer crime and received 18 months' probation.
Kalibrate Fuel Pricing Allegedly Enabled California Gas Station Operators to Coordinate Higher Pump Prices
Major gas station operators in California allegedly used Kalibrate Fuel Pricing to automate pump prices using competitor data and reduce price competition. A June 2026 complaint said the AI-based system increased gasoline prices by as much as 30 cents per gallon where adoption was widespread.
Police Officer in Seoul, South Korea, Alleged to Have Created and Shared Sexually Explicit Deepfakes of Acquaintances
A police officer at Dongdaemun Police Station in Seoul, South Korea, was accused of using an AI app to create roughly 400 sexually explicit deepfake videos from acquaintances' photographs and sharing about 50 through Telegram. He was also charged with possessing about 1,600 child sexual abuse videos. Reporting does not establish whether that material was AI-generated. He was indicted following an undercover police investigation.
Fort Bend County, Texas, Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Reportedly Used Flock Safety License-Plate Reader System for 189 Non-Law-Enforcement Searches
From January 2022 through December 2025, a Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office lieutenant in Texas reportedly used Flock Safety's license-plate reader system to search two vehicle plates 189 times and admitted the searches were unrelated to official law-enforcement work. A resident alleged stalking and feared for their family's safety. Internal affairs found department-order violations and imposed a two-day suspension.
Queensland Man Allegedly Distributed Purportedly AI-Generated Sexual Posters Falsely Advertising Women for Sex
Queensland police in Australia allege that a man used AI to place at least eight women's faces onto explicit images and displayed posters containing their names, social media accounts, employment details, and false claims that they offered sexual services. The alleged campaign ran from February 2021 through May 2026.
Motive AI Dashcams Allegedly Collected Truckers' Biometric Data and Built License-Plate Location Records Without Consent
Truck drivers Adam Dean and Christian Erickson alleged that Motive Technologies' AI dashcams used automatic license plate recognition to record plates and time-stamped vehicle locations and collected drivers' biometric data without adequate notice or consent. Dean reportedly drove a Motive-equipped vehicle from 2020–2023 and Erickson from 2022–2025. Their proposed class action alleges privacy harms and violations of California's ALPR law.
Tesla Model S with Autopilot Reportedly Engaged Struck Parked SUV in Key Largo, Killing One Person and Seriously Injuring Another Standing Nearby
On April 25, 2019, George McGee's Tesla Model S, with Autopilot reportedly engaged, drove through a Key Largo intersection and struck a parked Chevrolet Tahoe, which then hit two people standing beside it: Naibel Benavides Leon, who was killed, and Dillon Angulo, who was seriously injured. McGee admitted distraction. In 2025, a federal jury found Tesla 33% responsible on defective-design and failure-to-warn claims. Tesla disputed liability and said it would appeal.
Atlantic City Casino-Hotels Allegedly Used Cendyn's Rainmaker AI to Coordinate and Inflate Room Rates
Atlantic City casino-hotels were alleged to have used Cendyn's Rainmaker AI-powered pricing platform to coordinate room rates using competitors' non-public pricing and occupancy data. Plaintiffs alleged that the hotels accepted Rainmaker's recommendations about 90% of the time, resulting in anti-competitively high room prices for guests.