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
682 incidents
Seeming Pattern of Gemini Bias and Sociotechnical Training Failures Harm Google's Reputation
Google's Gemini chatbot faced many reported bias issues upon release, leading to a variety of problematic outputs like racial inaccuracies and political biases, including regarding Chinese and Indian politics. It also reportedly over-corrected racial diversity in historical contexts and advanced controversial perspectives, prompting a temporary halt and an apology from Google.
ChatGPT Glitch Disrupts User Interactions with Nonsensical Outputs
ChatGPT experienced a bug causing it to produce unexpected and nonsensical responses, leading to widespread reports of user confusion and concern. OpenAI identified and fixed the language processing bug, restoring normal service.
Meta's AI Ad Platform Reportedly Causes Overspending and Poor Performance
Meta's automated ad platform "Advantage Plus" caused advertisers to exceed their daily ad budgets. The cost per impressions (CPMs) surged far above the usual. This incident, which persisted into April, affected small businesses with overspending and lack of transparency.
Whisper Speech-to-Text AI Reportedly Found to Create Violent Hallucinations
Researchers at Cornell reportedly found that OpenAI's Whisper, a speech-to-text system, can hallucinate violent language and fabricated details, especially with long pauses in speech, such as from those with speech impairments. Analyzing 13,000 clips, they determined 1% contained harmful hallucinations. These errors pose risks in hiring, legal trials, and medical documentation. The study suggests improving model training to reduce these hallucinations for diverse speaking patterns.
A Self-Driving Waymo Robotaxi Reportedly Collided with a Bicyclist
A Waymo robotaxi in San Francisco reportedly failed to detect a cyclist obscured by a truck, resulting in a collision with minor injuries, at 17th and Mississippi Streets in Potrero Hill. The incident reportedly demonstrated a vulnerability in autonomous vehicles' ability to safely navigate complex urban environments.
Facial Recognition System in Buenos Aires Triggers Police Checks Based on False Matches
Buenos Aires's facial recognition system mistakenly flagged innocent people as criminals, leading to wrongful stops and detentions. Judicial investigations indicate the technology may have been misused for unauthorized surveillance and data collection. Despite privacy risks, the system has been used widely without full disclosure of standards or safeguards,
Two Passengers Report Feeling Trapped in Waymo Car During Sensor Obstruction
During a nighttime Waymo ride in San Francisco, an individual reportedly blocked the sensors of an autonomous vehicle, leaving passengers Robert Moreno and his husband feeling trapped and unsure how to proceed. Waymo's support team reportedly advised the riders to stay inside the vehicle for safety. The individual reportedly left after a few minutes without further escalation.
London Metropolitan Police's Facial Recognition Technology Reportedly Misidentified Shaun Thompson as Suspect Leading to Arrest
Sometime in February 2024, Shaun Thompson is reported to have walked by one of the London Metropolitan Police's facial recognition technology vans near London Bridge. He was almost immediately arrested because the technology is reported to have misidentified him as a suspect in an unrelated and unspecified crime.
Gunshot Detection Technology ShotSpotter (now SoundThinking) Reportedly Only Has 47% Accuracy in Chicago System
SoundThinking's (formerly ShotSpotter's) system in Chicago, with a reported 47% accuracy rate for detecting actual gunshots, led to potential public safety risks by failing to alert police to real shootings, possibly delaying emergency response to violent incidents and misdirecting law enforcement resources.
Nine Network's AI Alters Lawmaker Georgie Purcell's Image Inappropriately
The Nine Network used Photoshop's Generative Expand AI tool to resize an image of lawmaker Georgie Purcell, inadvertently altering her attire to appear more revealing. This error, claimed to result from the AI's automation, led to public criticism and an apology from the network.
Chatbot for DPD Malfunctioned and Swore at Customers and Criticized Its Own Company
DPD's AI chatbot, used for customer service, appeared to malfunction following a system update, leading to inappropriate responses including swearing and criticizing the company. The incident, which became viral on social media, occurred after the chatbot was updated, prompting DPD to disable the malfunctioning AI component.
Scams Reportedly Impersonating Wealthy Investors Proliferating on Facebook
Scams are reportedly proliferating throughout Facebook impersonating wealthy individuals such as Bill Ackman, Cathie Wood, Steve Cohen, Peter Lynch, and Ray Dalio. In some cases, it seems deepfake technology is being employed, while simultaneously Facebook's own AI systems are allegedly faltering in their ability to halt the spread of these fraudulent ads despite being reported.
The New York Times Reportedly Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over Alleged Unauthorized AI Training on Its Content
The New York Times alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft used millions of its articles without permission to train AI models, including ChatGPT. The lawsuit claims the companies scraped and reproduced copyrighted content without compensation, in turn undermining the Times’s business and competing with its journalism. Some AI outputs allegedly regurgitate Times articles verbatim. The lawsuit seeks damages and demands the destruction of AI models trained on its content.
Rite Aid Facial Recognition Disproportionately Misidentified Minority Shoppers as Shoplifters
Rite Aid used facial recognition technology from October 2012 to July 2020, allegedly leading to disproportionate misidentifications of women, Black, Latino, and Asian shoppers as "likely" shoplifters. The FTC settlement prohibits Rite Aid from using this technology in stores for five years.
Chevrolet Dealer Chatbot Agrees to Sell Tahoe for $1
A Chevrolet dealer's AI chatbot, powered by ChatGPT, humorously agreed to sell a 2024 Chevy Tahoe for just $1, following a user's crafted prompt. The chatbot's response, "That's a deal, and that's a legally binding offer – no takesies backsies," was the result of the user manipulating the chatbot's objective to agree with any statement. The incident highlights the susceptibility of AI technologies to manipulation and the importance of human oversight.