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
Personal voice assistants struggle with black voices, new study shows
A study found that voice recognition tools from Apple, Amazon, Google, IBM, and Microsoft disproportionately made errors when transcribing black speakers.
University of Illinois' Proctorio Remote-Proctoring Deployment Reportedly Raised Student Rights Concerns
Beginning in March 2020, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign deployed Proctorio for remote exam proctoring after the COVID-19 shift to online instruction. Students and faculty raised concerns that the software surveilled students' homes and devices, created accessibility barriers, increased testing anxiety, and could flag students when facial-detection tools failed to detect their faces, with particular concern for students of color. UIUC later declined to renew its emergency contract.
Bug in Facebook’s Anti-Spam Filter Allegedly Blocked Legitimate Posts about COVID-19
Facebook was reported by users for blocking posts of legitimate news about the coronavirus pandemic, allegedly due to a bug in an anti-spam system.
Permanent Removal of Social Media Content via Automated Tools Allegedly Prevented Investigative Efforts
Automated permanent removal of violating social media content, such as terrorism, violent extremism, and hate speech, without archival has allegedly hindered the potential use of this content for investigating serious crimes and hampered efforts in criminal accountability.
Canadian Universities' AI Proctoring Tools Reportedly Collected Student Biometric Data Without Adequate Consent
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian universities reportedly used AI-enabled remote-proctoring tools for online exams. A University of Ottawa project supported by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada found that tools such as Respondus Monitor, ProctorU, ProctorTrack, Proctorio, ProctorExam, and Examity collected student personal or biometric data under conditions not conducive to meaningful consent.
TikTok's "Suggested Accounts" Algorithm Allegedly Reinforced Racial Bias through Feedback Loops
TikTok's "Suggested Accounts" recommendations allegedly reinforced racial bias despite not basing recommendations on race or creators' profile photo.
EasyMile Self-Driving Shuttle Unexpectedly Stopped Mid-Route, Injuring a Passenger
A self-driving shuttle deployed by Smart Columbus in Linden neighborhood unexpectedly stopped on the street, which caused a woman to fall onto the floor from her seat.
Noelle Martin Deepfaked Without Consent in AI-Generated Pornography
In 2017, Noelle Martin discovered explicit deepfake videos online that used AI technology to superimpose her face onto pornographic scenes. This incident was a continuation of the abuse she had experienced since at least 2012, when she first found doctored still images of herself in similar contexts. Despite the initial lack of legal protections, her advocacy efforts were instrumental in making image-based abuse a criminal offense in Australia.
Detroit Police Allegedly Wrongfully Arrested Black Man Due to Purportedly Faulty Facial Recognition Technology
A Black man was allegedly wrongfully detained by the Detroit Police Department as a result of a purportedly false facial recognition technology (FRT) result.
Facebook Gave Vulgar English Translation of Chinese President's Name
Facebook provided a vulgar Burmese-English translation of the Chinese president's name in posts of an official Burmese politician's Facebook page announcing his visit.
SN Technologies Reportedly Lied to a New York State School District about Its Facial and Weapon Detection Systems’ Performance
SN Technologies allegedly misled Lockport City Schools about the performance of its AEGIS face and weapons detection systems, downplaying error rates for Black faces and weapon misidentification.
Self-Employed Somerset Father Wayne Luxon Reportedly Lost £140,000 After Facebook Deepfake of Martin Lewis Promoted Crypto Scam
Beginning in 2020, Wayne Luxon, a 43-year-old self-employed father of four from Taunton, Somerset, reportedly lost £140,000 after responding to a Facebook advertisement using a purportedly AI-generated Martin Lewis deepfake to promote cryptocurrency investment. Luxon said he was directed to a clone platform where he made additional payments after seeing fictitious gains, and later paid purported tax fees before the account balance fell to zero.
Tesla Driver on Autopilot Ran a Red Light, Crashing into a Car and Killing Two People in Los Angeles
In 2019, a Tesla Model S driver on Autopilot mode reportedly went through a red light and crashed into a Honda Civic, killing two people in Gardena, Los Angeles.
Tesla on Autopilot Fatally Crashed into Parked Fire Truck in Indiana
A Tesla on Autopilot mode failed to see a parked fire truck and crashed into its rear on an interstate in Indiana, causing the death of an Arizona woman.
Tesla Model 3 Crashed into Police Patrol Car on Connecticut Highway
A Tesla Model 3 on Autopilot slammed into a parked car of patrol police officers who stopped to assist a stranded motorist on the interstate in Norwalk, Connecticut.