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
271 incidents
Russia Reportedly Using Artificial Intelligence in Disinformation Campaigns to Erode Western Support for Ukraine
The Russian government has been stepping up its foreign influence campaigns by using artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to spread disinformation and sow distrust in policies supportive of Ukraine. Part of the strategy includes carrying out influence laundering operations by disseminating their messages to the American public via allies inside nominally independent organizations, according to a recent declassified analysis.
Robin Williams's Voice Deepfaked Without Consent
Zelda Williams, the daughter of the late Robin Williams, condemned the misuse of her father's voice in AI-generated productions, having cited some instances where his voice had been deepfaked, along with the potential for further misuse, as such instances do not involve consent.
Ottawa Couple Reportedly Loses CA$177,023 After Purported Deepfake Elon Musk Investment Scam
A retired Ottawa couple, Doug and Victoria Lloyd, lost CA$177,023 after being lured by a purported deepfake video of Elon Musk promoting a fake investment platform. The deepfake allegedly led to prolonged social engineering, remote access to their computer, and fraudulent cryptocurrency transfers. The couple reportedly suffered major financial loss and ongoing debt. Police say recovery is unlikely.
Voice deepfake targets bank in failed transfer scam
In spring 2023, Florida investor Clive Kabatznik became the target of an advanced scam attempt involving a voice deepfake mimicking his own voice. The fraudulent caller, using AI-generated speech, contacted Kabatznik's Bank of America representative in an unsuccessful attempt to deceive the banker into transferring funds to a different account.
Reported Doctored Video of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu Claims Naira Will Be Replaced by U.S. Dollar
A reported viral video circulated in Nigeria in the late summer and early fall of 2023 falsely claiming that President Bola Tinubu announced plans to replace the naira with the U.S. dollar. The video, reportedly styled as a news segment from Arise News, was allegedly digitally altered using AI-generated audio and lip-sync manipulation. Arise News publicly denounced the clip as a deepfake, and no legitimate media sources corroborated the claim. The video appeared amid public anxiety over Nigeria's ongoing currency crisis.
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.
Shein Accused of AI-Driven Art Theft on Merchandise
Artists Krista Perry, Larissa Martinez, and Jay Baron filed a lawsuit against Shein, alleging the company used AI to replicate their art on merchandise. The artists claim Shein's algorithm identifies trending online art, creating near-identical copies for their products without credit or compensation.
Purported AI-Generated Image of Explosion Near Pentagon Reportedly Triggers Brief Market Dip and Public Confusion
A Twitter/X account allegedly impersonating Bloomberg reportedly posted an image falsely showing an explosion near the Pentagon. Analysts reportedly described the image as likely AI-generated. The post reportedly spread through major accounts before officials confirmed no incident occurred. Markets reportedly dipped during the short period when the hoax circulated.
Illinois Residents File Class Action Lawsuit Against Facial Recognition Technology Companies for Allegedly Violating BIPA
A class action lawsuit was filed against several facial recognition technology companies for allegedly violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The defendants are accused of offering a facial recognition search engine called Pimeyes, which collects images from databases across the internet and scans them into their database seemingly without consent. This action is claimed to invade the privacy of millions of Americans. The lawsuit argues that Pimeyes lacks publicly available policies regarding data storage and deletion, in contravention of BIPA's requirements for informed written consent before collecting biometric data.
Alleged Use of Purportedly AI-Generated and Manipulated Media to Misrepresent Candidates and Disrupt Turkey's 2023 Presidential Election
During Turkey's 2023 presidential election, reportedly manipulated and allegedly AI-generated videos, audio, and images were used to smear candidates, purportedly link opposition figures to terrorist groups, and circulate a purported sex tape that reportedly contributed to presidential candidate Muharrem İnce’s withdrawal. These incidents reportedly misled voters, disrupted campaigning, and altered the electoral field.
Novel Deepfake Song Pulled from Music Streaming Services After Allegedly Violating Artist's Rights
The deepfake performance of "Heart On My Sleeve" created to mimic the voice and musical styles of Drake and The Weeknd is no longer available on several streaming services after their record label served copyright takedown notices to the platforms.
Chinese Businessman Reportedly Defrauded of 4.3 Million Yuan by AI-Generated Deepfake Impersonating Friend
A scammer in China used AI-generated deepfake technology to impersonate a businessman’s trusted friend in a video call, convincing him to transfer 4.3 million yuan ($612,000). The fraudster mimicked the friend’s face and voice, claiming another associate needed funds for a business transaction. Without verifying the transfer, the victim sent the money. He later realized the deception and contacted police, who managed to recover 3.4 million yuan.
Viral Image of Pope Francis in a Puffer Jacket Revealed to Be AI-Generated
A viral image of Pope Francis wearing a white puffer jacket was a deepfake produced by the photorealistic-image-generator Midjourney.
GPT-4 Reportedly Posed as Blind Person to Convince Human to Complete CAPTCHA
GPT-4 was reported by its researchers posing as a visually impaired person, contacting a TaskRabbit worker to have them complete the CAPTCHA test on its behalf.
Female Celebrities' Faces Reportedly Shown in Sexually Suggestive Ads for Deepfake App
Sexually suggestive videos featuring faces of female celebrities such as Emma Watson and Scarlett Johansson were reportedly rolled out as ads on social media for an app allowing users to create deepfakes.